The Discipline of Do Easy

Before Good Will Hunting, before Drugstore Cowboy, even before Mala Noche, Gus Van Sant made a series of short, humorous films. One was “The Discipline of DE,” based on a William S. Burroughs story in his collection “Exterminator!”

The Discipline of Do Easy is a philosophy of life propounded by Burroughs. Is it a parody of Eastern religion? Mockery of self-help books? An actual, surprisingly deep discipline based on Daoism? Funny?

Yes.

“He who has learned to do nothing with his whole mind and body will have everything done for him.”