Dharma Bums 4

"he made sure his sleeping bag was farther away from the fire than mine so I would sure to be warm. He was always practicing charity."
page 76

This quote comes when Japhy and Ray are alone at their first campsite while climbing Matterhorn. It is a cold night and Japhy sacrfices his own comfort to ensure that Ray is warm. This demonstrates that Japhy is commited to practicing his form of Buddhismby practicing kindness on a regular basis. This is a rare case of the character in the book following through on a commitment and shows how much Ray respects Japhy.

"'Ready. What would I say to the boys in The Place if I came all this way only to give up at the last minute."
page 81

Ray says this to Japhy and Morley as he is deciding whether or not to continue to the top of Matterhorn. One reason he should go is so he can share this story with this friends. This is ironic because earlier he says that the whole point of mountain climbing isnt to show off, its just getting outside. Rays thoughts change on a whim as Japhy presses him to climb.