Drawn by Dave Coverly
I found this image actually laugh out loudable (I know loudable isn't a word, but it gets my point across). There are many stereotypes I get from the single image. First of which being the image of the Buddhist itself, wearing the typical robe and having a shaved head, which is the typical image any person (at least I know I do) would have of a Buddhist Monk. The main stereotype I received from this was the idea that all Monk's speak merely riddle-like passages. Never giving a straight answer, never making things too easy.
The image stereotype of a Buddhist is far from accurate. It may get the point across but it is not as true to life as we most often think. Especially in the Western Hemisphere. There are plenty of people you can see walking down the street who look nothing like Buddhist, one in particular is actually in one of my classes here at VCU, he is a Buddhist (apparently) and he looks like a straight punk (long hair, beanie, hoodie, jeans, and etc). One example from the book of Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate, by Brad Warner is when he was on the lookout in the LA Buddhist scene. Brad describes an apparent Zen Master named Frederick Lenz saying he was "a skinny white man who liked to be photographed in a sexy leather jacket with a bright light behind his giant fro' to make it look like a halo." That is one very un-stereotypical Buddhist (as well as his apparent teachings, we find out later from Brad).
The stereotype concerning the mythical and enigmatic speeches, questions, and apparent answers however had not necessarily been touched upon to the point of my reading. I can only imagine with the speech of the writer that this stereotype can also be falsified. A Buddhist can not be made similar to the likes of Yoda. Although some questions must be answered in a way that will make the practitioner think deeper than what is being told on the surface.
With all that said... that little comic is still hilarious. Just sayin'.
-Greyson
