Buddhist monk on figures

10.01.2011 by Patrick W. Galbraith

A friend took me to Vow's Bar in Nakano, which advertises itself as a "Buddhist bar." The master, Shaku Genko, was indeed a priest of the Pure Land sect, but after a few drinks (including one called the Erotic Monk) he was more interested in talking about jazz and idols than enlightenment. I happened to look over at the small alter in the bar, and noticed that beside the statue of Buddha was a figure of Nurse Witch , one of my favorite characters. Indeed, I have the same figure in my room. I asked the master about it: Is it OK to have a figure like that next to Buddha? His answer: The figures of today are the statues of Buddha of yesterday. Wow! Admittedly, I'd had a few drinks (thus the atrocious quality of the picture here, sorry!), but I took his statement very seriously. Is it possible that figures can orient us towards some sort of transcendent truth? That they can help us overcome our attachments to this reality? Salvation in the midst of consumer capitalism! I guess that would explain why all these temples and shrines in Japan are using images of cute anime characters to gather and hold attention. I wonder if many fans seeking to be closer to Komugi-chan are also seeking spiritual guidance... Be that as it may, I certainly will be visiting Vow's again soon!