I recall a couple of years ago when I shaved my head for a Zen retreat where an ordination was going to take place. After the retreat while walking down the hall at the Unitarian Society where I serve, one of the late adolescents did a nicely understated doubletake then said, “Hey, James, you almost look cool.”
And that seemed to be the deal on my coolness. Almost, but never quite…
Until, that is, I found the Worst Horse. This has to be the ultimate source of Buddhist cool.
The Worst Horse is where I learned that a comic book I really like is at the heart of cool. Herge’s Tintin in Tibet had been voted the greatest French language graphic novel ever. Or that it has been given the Dalai Lama’s “Truth of Light” award. Or, how it has become a bit of a political football when the Chinese attempted to publish a Chinese language edition re-titling it Tintin in China’s Tibet. Fortunately, this small (but one of tens of thousands, small and large) part of China’s Tibetan genocide* project was blocked by Herge’s estate.
Anyway, want a peek into Buddhist cool?
You have a pointer.
* A term never to be used lightly. I’ll explore this in greater depth at some future date.
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