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Pop Buddha
NamelessRiver
Veteran
All religions end up being referenced by pop culture, in the sense that its images get turned into marketing icons, t-shirts, or themes for movies that have little to do with the original message the religions propagate. In the case of Buddhism, you see people using Buddha statues for decoration purposes, or that little fat guy that people call the Buddha being a symbol of luck and fortune, etc.
The first time I had contact with Buddhist concepts was through an anime, when I was six to seven years old. There was, in this cartoon, this knight who called himself the reincarnation of Buddha, and had this power that could send people throughout the six planes of existence (that was the first time I heard of this too), he used to sit on a lotus flower, and used mudras as postures for fighting, he also had that bumb on the forehead, invoked hungry ghosts upon his enemies and so on.
I don't think I would have ever thought of Buddhism many years later as something feasible if it wasn't such a big part of my childhood earlier. Maybe without the banalization of such concepts I would just think of buddhism as an exotic eastern philosophy that didn't apply to my reality.
My question for you is: do you feel buddhism gets banalized sometimes in the media and in society in general? How? Is that a good or a bad thing?
The first time I had contact with Buddhist concepts was through an anime, when I was six to seven years old. There was, in this cartoon, this knight who called himself the reincarnation of Buddha, and had this power that could send people throughout the six planes of existence (that was the first time I heard of this too), he used to sit on a lotus flower, and used mudras as postures for fighting, he also had that bumb on the forehead, invoked hungry ghosts upon his enemies and so on.
I don't think I would have ever thought of Buddhism many years later as something feasible if it wasn't such a big part of my childhood earlier. Maybe without the banalization of such concepts I would just think of buddhism as an exotic eastern philosophy that didn't apply to my reality.
My question for you is: do you feel buddhism gets banalized sometimes in the media and in society in general? How? Is that a good or a bad thing?
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Comments
I can't say I could trust my judgement on that. Like you I was exposed to some of the ideas and iconography of Buddhism through pop culture (For me it was "Monkey!" :P) and built up interest.
But I suppose it could be bad.
If anyone wants to take a closer non-trivial look, the Buddhist teachings are widely and freely available for the most part. So, I don't think it does too much harm.
I agree with 5B. HH Penor Rinpoche also weighed in on this issue. He said that mantra was indestructible. It didn't matter if you put it in songs or wore it on hats or whatever. There would be no harm to Dharma, and I also feel like the more it is put out there, the more likely it will be to raise people's curiosity about what exactly all this stuff is. Some people I know have gotten upset when they see people dressed like Tibetan monks in commercials and stuff, but I don't think it's a bad thing necessarily. Yes, it banalizes Buddhism to a degree, but I don't ever recall a commercial or anything like that that was in any way disrespectful of monks or Buddhism. I think people can appreciate a religion (or whatever you choose to call it) that can laugh at itself - unlike some others we might name!
Palzang
I hope, Palzang-La, if I may call you that, you're not referring to us South Carolinians who worship our ancestors! We may be mired in prejudice and state pride, but most of us can at least laugh at how very odd we are.
BTW, what does La mean?
There's so much on this website that I don't understand. What's this about pop culture banalizing any religion? Please say more.
From where I stand, when people use words sacrilegiously I think the banality comes from them and adheres to them. Period. I do not think one iota of trash or disrepute is imparted to the tradition by anybody merely alluding to some of its facets. However, if it comes from within the organization, that's a horse of another color.
If there's a banality that comes from the "outward trappings," as the Catholics used to call the robes and trinkets and such, I'd like to hear more about it. I remember (was her name?) Edwina in Absolutely Fabulous! O, how I loved her "Buddhist" identity flings. So superficial and transparent! Did that show display Buddhism in any negative or caricatured light at all? You answer what?
Life is life. People are people. But most important of all, a Gem will always be a Gem, even if it should fall in the mud.
I think people who worry about the banalization of religion are people who are unable to laugh at themselves. Sure, Buddhism was the "in" thing for a while. Sure, popular culture has cannibalized it, like it does with everything else that rises above the horizon of the public consciousness. So? I love the picture of the guys dressed like Tibetan monks riding the roller coaster! Looks like fun. How does that harm Buddhism? Phhhhtttt... To me it just is part of the Americanization (or Westernization) of Buddhism.
La is an honorific. It literally means superior or higher.
Palzang
Thanks for your reply, dear Palzang-La!
You know, come to think of it, I cannot think of anything purely "Pop Islam" in nature. The closest I can come is herd mentality acting out in extreme ways. It's a totally different culture. Please, anyone, set me straight here.
Islam is strange, in that it is so ardently anti-iconic, yet is idolatrous about the Qur'an and the Prophet, PBOH. I guess the system makes sense if you take the Qur'an as the Highest Authority. However, that would, in my estimation make God's Speech almost higher than God Himself. In other words, God is tied to the Word He once uttered, and is not Himself any longer Sovereign of the Universe (being subject to the words of the Koran).
Anyhow, although the whole system seems to be a vicious circle which once you fall into there's no escape from, there remains a glimmer of hope that calmer minds will prevail in the end.
Gee, Palzang-La, I'm glad you think of us people down here south of North Carolina —that valley of humility between two mountains of conceit, namely South Carolina and Virginia!
I like South Carolina. My brother used to live in Charleston, and I visited him a couple of times. Love the old houses. I didn't notice any conceit particularly. You want conceit, go to Texas!
Palzang
Palzang
Then what can be said of the actions of the founder of the religion who would make L.ron blush...according to the koran and ahadiths muhammed was a very very naughty boy but oddly enough he is idol to millions of muslims who beleive him to be the perfect example of man.
Its a worrying fact, if the tree is rotten so shall be the fruit :eek:
Palzang
Its pretty much indisputable palzang what muhammed was and did, his example has set the mark as muslims beleive muhammed was the most perfect man therefore you cannot expect devout muslims to not mirror his actions.
I find it slightly offensive that everywhere I turn people use Buddhism, and more specifically Zen, as a descriptive term for peace and serenity. I'm sure you could hope for worse things for your chosen religion.
I saw a building in downtown Seattle that had Zen in it's name and was being described as something peaceful and serene. Marketing throws Zen into anything these days as a way to show it's "peaceful" or "serene" that disgusts me.
Americans only know that Buddhism is about calm and peace and vegetarianism, it seems. The west does what they do best, simplify everything to a soundbite or slogan that can be put on a placard.
Dalai lamaism...most general westerners favourite buddhist they consider him the pope of buddhism and know little beyond that, why ive even met some people who beleive buddhism is some sort of green peace political movement.:rolleyes:
this may be tardy. Monkey was about Buddhism??? Tell me more! ayayayayayayayaya...(spoken travelling on miniature cloud)
This is one of the things that first attracted me to Buddhism Palzang. If the Dalai lama didn't have that cheeky sense of humour, TNH too, I wouldn't have connected so well. I Brought up laughter in our sangha as a topic of conversation and they agreed. Laughter can be a very powerful connecter. Nothing turns me off more than an ernest bland pious judgemental 'holy man'.
Nah more like the society of pius x
The 'fat smiling man' of Chinese folklore is known as Budai. He was not the historical Buddha, though many people confuse him with the historical Buddha.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai
Palzang
Me rikey.
-bf
While no doubt some Muslims believe this my study of Islam showed me that Islam does not teach this. That, according to Islam the only perfect man was Jesus, but that Jesus' teachings were corrupted by greedy men and thus God deemed it necessary to send down his word one more time. This time through Mohammad, who, while not perfect, was steadfast in his faith in a land where most were faltering in their faith.
This is odd most muslims consider jesus a very minor prophet.
I would question the legitimacy of any teacher who was as barbaric as he.
He wasnt laughing that was him having a stroke
Why is this a bad thing?!
If people are going to do any association with Buddhism to something else I'm glad that its a positive thing. That says a lot about how the general population perceives the Buddhist beliefs.
You don't see people associating Buddhism with wide-eyed extreme terrorists, brain-washing religious camps for children, or a paranoid cult that claims its a religion but is possibly collecting big bucks from their followers. This is a good thing!
If people are associating Buddhism with positive imagery I think it brings more positive energy to what Buddhism is.
Just my two cents.
That's probably the result of many taking the opinions of someone else at face value rather than gaining a first hand knowledge of their holy book (much like Christianity). The sections of the Qur'an that deal with Jesus largely reflect the image of Jesus that is depicted in the Bible, with some variation of details (Muslims do not believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, for example. Nor do they believe that Christ was crucified).
I have no opinion ether way, since I don't take details of Mohammad's life at face value necessarily as he's most certainly been subject to 1,000 years of slander.
1,000 years of slander ? if this where so then i would assume most muslims would have outhandedly rejected the practises he was reputed to have performed unfortunatly not, If what was recorded was not considered authentic then it would have been chucked after all why would they wish to alter the word of god ? :-/
And what practices would that be that "most Muslims" have yet to reject?
For example in the middle east, because muhammed practised slavery and was widley practised during his time it is still practised today in some muslim countries, marrying off underdeveloped children to dirty old men, gential multilation, polygamy...ect.
If the tree was rotten what can you expect of the fruit ? :rolleyesc
BTW what does bananalizing mean? All I can think of is bananas LOL.
I have met a kind Muslim once. Then again I've never even met one before. It my experiance they'll always been socioly kind, apart from an old woman who chased after the car with a broomstick
Love & Peace
Joe
And such things are different for countless other cultures in what way? It wasn't so long ago that Christian societies were practicing such things. Does that lessen the good teachings of Jesus Christ? Tibet under the Dalai Lamas had a cruel system of surfdom straight out of the middle ages. Is the entirety of Tibetan Buddhism invalid then? It is, in my opinion, unwise to be so willing to toss the baby out with the bathwater. There is value in all faith systems even though their founders may be flawed, imperfect men.
I'm afraid I must (very strongly) disagree with you, for example my dad is prejudiced and my mum is slightly prejudiced where as I try to be as candid as I can. I find fresh blueberries in packets of when they're a week out of date
I disagree in which other religions do you see the founders being well reputed men of non virtue ? Which accounts of christ do you see him plundering merchant caravans or ordering the execution of 700 of his enemies ? :wtf:
The dalai lama's had been very cruel however they have no justifcation to do what they did ever from any of buddha's teachings or any tradition founders they where politicians first and foremost from the time of the 5th onwards.
Just saying, nobody is perfect, and the thing I don't like about many religious leaders (not saying any names) is preaching, people should come to a religion, not have it forced upon them...
Love & Peace
Joe
I agree unfortunatly many never had a choice, Spread by the sword. :eek:
This will change as it becomes more "normal" to be a Buddhist in the maintream. But... and here is where people get their backs up, it is banalized as a kind of New Age Vedanta... "Emptiness"= GOD/I AM. That is sooo pervasive.
Spread by the sword? Dear, dear, dear! *shakes head* :-/
Love & Peace
Joe
Yes spread by the sword if we are disscussing religion IMO decent religions usually have a founder who has to some degree morality in order to set an example and convey a point that good conduct leads to good results, any religion that had its very early begining in bloodshed even worse if it is the religions founder who was ordering/commiting these actions sets a dangerous precedent.
I think Buddhism was trivialized quite a bit in The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, but that was my first introduction to any of its ideas and from then on I developed a much deeper and more realistic appreciation of Buddhism.
I think Buddha would have quite a sense of humor knowing how much of our western world runs on advertising.
I don't mind Buddhism being spread into the media, actually I like people to see that it isn't just a few serious fasting monks in robes but in fact a group of noble, good-hearted folk with a fine sence of humour.
Love & Peace
Joe