The iPhone application “Ask Happy Buddha” is a reference to the Buddhist stereotype of a happy, carefree Buddha living in a peaceful and serene Buddhist world. The application involves people submitting the questions they face in life and an automated Buddha response being sent back to them. The questions asked are yes and no and all of his responses are insightful and “uplifting”. The point of the application is to provide some entertainment with some witty Buddha guidance. This is probably one of the most common stereotypes in popular culture. The happy go-lucky character is a somewhat positive stereotype but it puts an entertaining view on the Buddhist culture because one of the goals of the application is to make people laugh.
After some research, I realized that the historic Buddha is different than the one depicted in statues and popular culture. The Buddha represented in popular culture, Budai, is actually the symbol of contentment and prosperity2. The actual understanding of what Buddhism is was finally cleared up after the lessons on historic Buddha and Brad Warner’s clarification of current Buddhist practice. It’s the twenty-first century and people need to make a living in life. Brad Warner, a Zen Buddhist and a monster filmmaker, breaks down the role of a Buddhist teacher in the current world. Warner talks about how teachers and monks today should have the right to “live a decent life and have some cool stuff” (23)3.
Most practicing Buddhist in the world need support themselves and the “only jobs that qualify what Buddha called the “right livelihood” are thearapists or yoga teachers. That’s bullshit” (Warner 12)3. His two main jobs consist of creating films and spreading the word of Buddhism which don’t sound like they belong together. Modern Buddhist teachers give lectures in their spare time and work when they can in order to get by financially. Clearly, Warner dispels the notion that teachers and monks can only spend their time praying and spreading the word. Warner’s discussion about his punk rock past and transition into the Buddhist teacher allowed him to dispel current misunderstandings about the Buddhist religion.
1iTunes, 2011
2 Buddah, Wikipedia, 2011
3 Warner, Brad. Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate. 2009
Also, this is just a little addition. I found this comic on a website and thought I would share. It's entertaining and obviously another stereotype of Buddhist monks.
Also, this is just a little addition. I found this comic on a website and thought I would share. It's entertaining and obviously another stereotype of Buddhist monks.
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job of displaying the overriding stereotype of the "Fat and Happy" Buddha, and I thank you for doing the research to find out what the image usually associated with the Buddha actually is (you learn something new every day!). Warner certainly provides a good example of the modern buddhist, who is neither a starving ascetic, nor an obese, blissed-out wisdom dispenser.
I love your message of pop-culture. The fact that we can even contact Buddha through our "i-phone" is an ultimate extreme of modern day culture. I think you're completely right in that the most common image of Buddha, and the one most associate with Buddhism, is the one meditating in a completely problem-free environment. Great job with the assignment!
ReplyDeleteI really like what Brad Warner had to say about the Monks have to work a real job to support themselves financially. He also talked about the Americanized half day workshop to become enlightened, and the teachers just taking money from people and making them think that they are getting enlightened. I did not know that there was an App for that, but now that I do, I'm going to download it and get some wisdom!!
ReplyDeleteI love that you chose to use the "Ask Happy Buddha" app as your stereotype. I think it's a perfect picture of the blissful state that people generally associate with Buddhism, when in reality, Buddhism provides a commentary on many darker and more painful things, and how to approach and deal with them. I also like that you talked about Warner's point about Buddhist practitioners still being able to have jobs and nice things. In a way they can sort of be compared to celebrities or other figures that people idolize... generally, people never realize that they too are real people, and do normal, everyday things just like the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI actually younger thought and fell in love with Big fat Buddha, but growing up found hey he's just a depiction of someone else view. But will all have these preconceived notions of someone else or something else. But hey good post
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