Readers of “Luang Pi Fang of Sweet Lemon Temple” cartoons get to contribute their own ideas about dhamma.



Phra Mahawuttichai’s books are popular among young adults.

Bringing dhamma to the masses

By Sirinya Mongkonwat

01 August 2006

The country’s youth are getting lessons in Buddhism from surprising sources, including cartoons

To really get to the heart of the Lord Buddha’s teachings is no easy feat, requiring dedication and will-power. Many urbanites say they just don’t have time to pay much attention to dhamma, as their lives are already busy enough thanks to long working hours. It is a situation faced by religious leaders in countries around the world, with people in modern society not attracted to religion with the same fervor they were in years past.

But Buddhist followers say dhamma is timeless, and its precepts will always hold relevance in people’s lives as they have for thousands of years. So in order to keep up with changing times, new ways of communicating dhamma are being launched here to remind people of what Buddhism stands for and keep the religious teachings intact. For instance, cartoons are one effective way devout Buddhists are reaching the younger generation.

Several dhamma cartoons air on television and appear in print, and they’ve recently spread to the internet. One of the most popular websites for young Thai Buddhists is http://www.budpage.com, which presents dhamma through simple storytelling and comic book images.

The website, attracting 3,000 visitors a day, contains short comic strips about “Luang Pi Eang of Sweet Lemon Temple,” a young monk. The comics are comprised of a few frames and short conversations, and the writer ends each one by asking the readers what the story actually teaches us and what its title should be. Below the strips are long lists of answers and comments posted by the readers.

For example, in one comic a thief tiptoes into Luang Pi Eang’s bedroom at night while he is sleeping. After the thief grabs the monk’s possessions and jumps out the window, the criminal’s footwear is thrown out after him, with Luang Pi Eang saying “don’t forget your shoes!”

About 150 comments have been posted after this particular comic. Some say the strip’s message is that people should be unattached to objects, as nothing genuinely belongs to us.

Isara Sukongkarattanakul, the comic’s author, says he is trying to present stories that will revive the faith of Thai Buddhists and the younger generation.

“Kids these days are far away from religion. They are not familiar with monks. I think it is a result of social changes. In the past, parents always took their children to the temple. But now, they do not have time so it is inevitable that children are detached from dhamma. So they are not guided by the right ways in living their life,” he says.

The content in the comics is inspired by his personal experiences as well as knowledge of dhamma acquired from reading many books, including the Tripitaka, a collection of Buddhist scriptures. “But it’s impossible to have children read the Tripitaka. They would not understand it. So I’m trying to make the plot as simple as I can.”

One reason Isara’s comics are so popular is because of the dhamma puzzles at the end, which are essentially questions that can have different answers depending on how readers look at them.

“Actually, I can make another box with an answer but that will not be interesting. This comic may have three different answers. One can be right in terms of morality another can also be right psychologically. All comments from the readers will help them understand each other. The readers may not understand the comic but they may get it after reading several comments which they may agree or disagree with. And some comments can be picked up and applied to daily life.”

Besides reviving the faith of Thai Buddhists, Isara also hopes “Luang Pi Eang of Sweet Lemon Temple” will increase support for the role of Buddhist monks in society. Through Luang Pi Eang, an ordinary young monk studying dhamma, Isara says he is trying to show people that there are still many good Buddhist monks in Thailand, despite the headlines that often highlight stories of less-than-virtuous behavior.

“How can we help Buddhist monks return to virtue and delete all the negative images from the media, because we are about to lose the whole of our religion?” Isara asks. “Buddhist monks are representatives of the Lord Buddha because they pass on his teachings to the people. Dhamma is full of technical words that people need good monks to translate for them. I want people to understand how important this role is for Buddhist monks. They are like our teachers.”

Revered monk W Wachiramethi – or Phra Mahawuttichai Wachiramethi – whose best-selling dhamma books are popular with young adults, agrees with the need to adopt innovative ways to pass dhamma on in the modern world.

“Society is changing fast. Unless we apply new technology, monks will be forgotten. Even if monks continue to preach, it is useless because people these days do not have time to go to the temples. Thus, temples must find them instead,” Phra Mahawuttichai says.

This includes helping people access dhamma more conveniently through television, radio and the internet. But the key is that the core of the Lord Buddha’s teachings must be correct and complete, he says, although this doesn’t mean they can’t be presented in a way that’s simple and fun.

“If monks are still useful to society, dhamma will remain close to people’s hearts even if there are no temples,” says Phra Mahawuttichai. “But on the other hand, even if we have temples everywhere, it is useless if dhamma cannot help people to get rid of their suffering. A temple is not dhamma. A temple is just a symbol of Buddhism.”

Thai Day