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Introduction
This
collection of cartoons called "Dharma The Cat – Philosophy
With Fur,” which you see here, was conceived by an
Australian Buddhist, David Lourie, who wrote the dialogue,
and Ted Blackall, the illustrator. Both of them live in
the suburbs, on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia.
After a few years, when Ted was unable to continue, an
artist named Dave Heinrich stepped in and kept the project
alive.
The philosophy and humour expressed in the cartoons
reflects the author’s involvement in Buddhism over several
decades. This cartoon collection has been published in
monthly magazines in 28 countries, and has been translated
into 18 languages. The web site (http://www.DharmaTheCat.com)
has won the "10 Best On The Web" Award in the Humour
Category, and it is on the BBC Online's list of recommended
home-study educational sites, in the curricula of Buddhism,
Philosophy and Comparative Religions.
The Theme of the cartoon collection is “Havoc and mayhem
on the rocky road to nirvana, with a Buddhist cat, a novice
monk and a mouse hell-bent on cheese.”
“Dharma The
Cat” has three characters. There is a novice monk named
Bodhi, who is stumbling earnestly along the Buddha’s Noble
Path. The Cat’s name is Dharma, and he is a wise being who
looks down from a great height on those who have taken birth
in human form. And there is Siam, the house Mouse, who is
concerned only with cheese.
The main
character’s progress along his rocky path to Nirvana
reflects our own delusions and obstacles, and enables us to
digest the spiritual message in a compassionate and humorous
way -- contrary to portraying the road to enlightenment as
a friendless, unemotional journey. Practitioners do not
have to be so brave, patient, or wise, else they will fail,
and they might give up unless they lighten up, so to speak,
and have a great sense of humour.
Some years
ago the Zen Cartoon of Tsai Chil Chung from Taiwan
challenged readers (particularly western readers) to
comprehend the secret and hidden meanings of Zen and eastern
philosophy. Nowadays, “Dharma The Cat,” by David and Ted,
provides us with an everyday Western view of Buddhism. And
through the skilful Vietnamese translation of
Nhi Tuong, a
renown translator of the Quang Duc Home Page, the work
provides us with a comfortable feeling and easy
understanding that all is not lost, and that what we are
after is already under our noses. It puts us in direct touch
with the Buddha’s teachings. Here and there, the readers
will taste a subtle critical teasing humour, funny,
mischievous and free flowing ideas from ‘Dharma Cat’. It’s
done with the purpose of encouraging, humorously warning
and advising the novice Bodhi, and to assist us to be
aware and mindful of dissolving our egos, our attachments
and our ignorance which we all cling to despite ourselves on
our noble path. We laugh at ourselves, experience a silent
smile, and feel slightly uncomfortable when we are exposed
in our conceit and bad habits, which is part of the grand
achievement of “Dharma the Cat”.
So with the
above conception, I am glad to introduce to all of Quangduc
home readers this valuable collection. I wish you all an
Ullambana season of cheerful and happiness in the deathless
love of our Parents and indeed in the life they gave us.
Melbourne,
Winter of 2005
Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang
Vietnamese Version
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