TheWorstHorse.net's blog

Spider-Man, the young Buddhist monk!

nobody@vox.com(theworsthorse.net) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:36:15 -0800

Just learned about this comic book, Spider-Man Fairy Tales #3. It came out this past July. Here's what it's about.

Spider-Man Fairy Tales continues with a retelling of Spider-Man's origin, fusing one of Marvel's most classic stories with a number of popular Japanese ghost stories and legends! After the death of his parents, a young Buddhist monk is taken in by his elderly aunt and uncle and has since enjoyed a peaceful life away from further pain and suffering in a secluded temple. But when an evil "tsuchigumo," or spider spirit, attacks and bites the young boy, he finds he's gained tremendous abilities which he must now use to save his temple from six sinister ghostly invaders who have come for his blood!
COVER BY: KEI KOBAYASHI; WRITER: C. B. CEBULSKI
PENCILS: KEI KOBAYASHI

Available from this site (which is where the above description comes from.)

Dig the cover. I know I've had moments of zazen like that.

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Dharma-Burger! Delta Sky Miles goes begging.

nobody@vox.com(theworsthorse.net) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:01:33 -0700

Delta-skymiles-beggingmonkinad

Weird to see this on-line ad from Delta for their Sky Miles credit card, in which the most prominent element is someone who can't use any kind of credit card at all.

The figure in yellow is a Japanese monk, doing takuhatsu, which is a traditional form of begging. This allows the monks to live, and it allows the laypeople to experience giving, specifically in the form of contributing to those who have so dedicated their lives to upholding the Dharma.

It also seems to me odd to depict a monk commercially, especially given the public's current consciousness of Burma's monks.

I'm not saying "bad" or "good." But I'm definitely saying "odd."

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"Temporary Monks"

nobody@vox.com(theworsthorse.net) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:27:34 -0700

Temporary Monks
Originally uploaded by Justin Mott

[Found this shot and just loved it. Here's what the photog writes:]

Only about a kilometer from one of the most visited temples in the world of Angkor Wat lies Wat Ang Kea Sa. Wat Ang Kea Sa is one of many monasteries in predominately Buddhist Cambodia with a thriving population of young men. Over one hundred Bodhisattva (The one striving for Enlightenment) monks study the Pali language (the language of Theravada Buddhism) here while also studying the international language of English. They split their study time towards the path to enlightenment with the path to a career in their post-monk hood world. After a few years of living in the pagoda many of these men look to enter the tourism workforce thriving in Siem Reap. Speaking another language is a must in order to land a decent paying job at one of the many new four and five star hotels popping up. Alongside their traditional orange robes they reveal a somewhat non-traditional view of tattooed arms with cell phones clipped to their robes and a partially divided life they will live. While Buddhism will probably play a prominent role in their future lives, their time at the pagoda and their time in the robes is short lived.

Uploaded by Justin Mott on 15 Sep 06, 12.15PM EDT.

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Dogs: a little more innocent fun

nobody@vox.com(theworsthorse.net) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 07:59:08 -0700

ByVickiRogers-july07upload

We stumbled upon this shot by Vicki Rogers, and just loved it and wanted to share it.

The verdict is in:

Does a dog have Buddha-nature?

Most definitely.

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