A Visit from the Buddha

Another social and religious commentary from the Burmese cartoonist, JMP. First, the translation.

In the first frame the Buddha says: "My dear sons. I, the Buddha, renounced the pleasures of the palace and went to the forest. You are just indulging in the pleasures of gain and possessions."

The monk responds to him, "Who is this madman? Arrest him!"

In the second frame, the Buddha says, "But friends, I am the Buddha!"

The monk says, "Arrest him with blasphemy!"

The policeman says, "Shut up!"

Now, for the context. The monk is depicted as overweight, indicating greed. He is seated in a comfortable chair, wearing his robe incorrectly, and enjoying a foot massage from a woman (violating the Vinaya that monks cannot touch females). On his computer reads "969" in Burmese characters, the anti-Muslim group associated with Ma Ba Tha. A bottle on the table could be alcohol. Note that nothing in JMP's depiction is over the top or dramatized to effect; all of these details can be seen easily on a monastery visit today (with the possible exception of an open alcohol bottle). I also wonder if the Indian swastika behind him, which is seen at Buddhist monuments in Myanmar, is in fact a wink to its 20th century Nazi perversion.

JMP is playing off of a familiar religious trope in this cartoon, in which a spiritual leader returns to the world to see how his so-called followers are maintaining the faith. The Buddha admonishes the Burmese monk for his slovenly behavior and encourages him to reform his behavior. Yet instead of seeing the Buddha as his rightful spiritual teacher, the fat monk orders his arrest.

This is significant for several reasons. Most obviously, it indicates just how far some monks in Myanmar have slipped from the refined example they are to be following. Yet it also indicates the cozy relationship between the Sangha and the armed units of the military regime. In other words, it is telling that JMP does not only have the monk sending the Buddha off on his way, but is utilizing (and in fact ordering) uniformed men to forcibly take him away.

In short, this is JMP's attempt to answer the question, "What would happen if Gautama Buddha came to 2022 Myanmar?"