Dharma Delight: A Visionary Post Pop Comic Guide to Buddhism and Zen - Softcover

Greenblat, Rodney Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0804845263 ISBN 13: 9780804845267

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

In Dharma Delight, abstract artist and Zen practitioner Rodney Greenblat uses lighthearted narrative and vivid pop art paintings to celebrate the joys of living life from the inside out.

Part graphic guide, part personal testimony, part art book, Dharma Delight illustrates how seeking the path of compassion and acceptance can be as zany and exuberant as it is profound. It is a happy exploration of Buddhist Enlightenment—what it is, where to seek it—and how to recognize the perfection in ourselves. A great option for Zen beginners and experienced practitioners alike, sutras (teachings), Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) and jataka tales (parables) are presented in a way that's simple, upbeat and fun to read.

The original paintings—some new, some already known on the New York art scene and elsewhere—are an imaginative and affirming mind's-eye view of Buddhist teaching. Together, the words and illustrations are a warm and cheerful invitation to newcomers and a cool splash of refreshment to any traveler on the road to enlightenment.

About this title

About the Author

Rodney Alan Greenblat is a visionary artist, designer and writer who has been making whimsical, colorful artwork for over thirty years. In addition to his contribution to the New York art scene, he has designed album covers and video game characters and worlds. His many visits to Japan, where he created a popular animated TV series, led him to become a student of Zen, and to find new ways of expressing the Dharma. Rodney has been creating characters and illustrations for some of the world's most respected companies and publications, including Family Mart, Sony, Toyota, The New Yorker and The New York Times. Rodney is a senior student at the Village Zendo Zen center in New York City where he has received the Buddhist name "Musho." Rodney continues his colorful and enchanting way of true expression.

See more of Rodney's artwork on his website whimsyload.com

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-A whimsically illustrated guide to the basic concepts of Zen and Buddhism. Greenblat briefly describes dharma, Shakyamuni, and a few classical bodhisattvas and offers a simple introduction to meditation. Also included are a selection of Jataka tales and koans, some traditional and some of the author's invention. Greenblat recommends veganism, stating that it is consistent with Buddhism, and details other important elements, such as compassion and the cessation of desire. His original material, both text and artwork, set this work apart from other overviews and will either appeal to or put off potential readers. The fanciful and very colorful artwork exists somewhere in the nexus among doodles, primitivism, and comics and features figures like the smiling "Thunder Bunny cloud deity," a panda Zen master, and a "Sentient Bean." One of his Jataka tales centers on the Diatom Buddha, who eventually becomes Buddha Oil, which is used on a bike chain. VERDICT This title won't take the place of a more straightforward primer, but the original presentation may draw in some teens.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0804845263
• ISBN 13: 9780804845267
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 128