topics: |  graphic-novel | biography | buddhism | religion | india

Buddha: A Japanese view of North Indian realities

buddha's life turns into a tale of swashbuckling adventure, with tatta, the
boy who can enter the spirit of beasts, and bandaka, the ace archer and
bandit, and other non-royal characters on centerstage, along with kings
bimbisara and prasenjit, their rebellious sons ajatasattu and virudhaka.

the first volume sets the background, depicting a grim landscape in india,
where the masses are struggling under the bonds of caste, not to mention the
terrible 110 degrees F summer heat.  its primary protagonists are not the
buddha, the story of whose birth unfolds gently in the background, but the
slave boy chhapra and his mother, who are untouchables; and his friend tatta,
who has magic powers.  chhapra hopes to rise above his birth by saving a
general from crocodiles; the general eventually adopts him and chhapra trains
hard and becomes the supreme archer of the kosala kingdom.  however, his
skills are not enough to sustain him --  in the end, when his shudra past
is revealed, he has a terrible fall.  the miseries inflicted by caste are a
strong theme running through the book. 

while this principal narrative is leaping through the pages in graphics of
amazing power and beauty, almost as an aside, the child siddhartha is born
in the neighbouring shakya kingdom, to king sudhodhana and queen maya, who
dies shortly after childbirth.  his birth resonates with supernatural "signs"
of greatness in the child - an impending invasion is prevented after locusts
empty the invading army's stores; the river Rohini, that runs dry every
summer, is found brimming with water; and at the magic moment of birth, heaven
sends a beam of light on the queen's entourage, and the birds and beasts
gather to pay obeisance (p.261-263).

while reading the story, i felt that the stereotyped depiction of caste and
the grimness of Indian life was an undeserved commentary on the India of today
(which it is).  Later, I wondered about what it was that made me so
uncomfortable.  Why is it that we Indians are so sensitive about movies
like Slumdog Millionaire that depict what is widely perceived as as true?  
    "a modern version of the West’s view of India where slums, slumdogs and
    Bollywoodian clichés have replaced the elephants and snake charmers." 
    	- self-styled educationist arindam chaudhuri

In the context of Buddha, it is indeed important to highlight the caste
imbalance, since more than anything else, Buddhism is a rebellion against
caste (though the caste rigidity depicted is likely to have some several
centuries later).  

So why did I feel uncomfortable with the seemingly endless emphasis on the
iniquities of caste, the poverty, the squalor, the heat?  Could it be that
we middle class Indians feel uncomfortable about our dark underbelly? While
the English accept Dickensian London, with its warts and grime, would we
rather live in full sighted unacceptance of the miseries in our midst?

Other reviews

Tezuka, the master of Japanese comics, mixes his own characters with history
as deftly as he transfers the most profound, complex emotions onto extremely
cartoony characters, and his work defies easy categorization In Buddha,
originally serialized in the 1970s and one of his last works, he lavishly
retells the life of Siddhartha, who isn't even born until page 268. Instead,
Tezuka introduces Chapra, a slave who attempts to escape his fate by posing
as the son of a general; Tatta, a crazed wild child pariah who communes with
animals; Chapra's slave mother, who stands by him no matter what; and
Naradatta, a monk attempting to discover the meaning of strange portents of
the Buddha's birth. Throughout the book, the characters engage in fresh and
unexpected adventures, escapes and reverses, as they play out Tezuka's
philosophical concern with overcoming fate and the uselessness of
violence. Despite episodes of extreme brutality and broad humor, the core of
the story revolves around various set pieces, as when Tatta sacrifices
himself to a snake to save Naradatta and Chapra's mom. After a moment of
intense emotion, the scene is upended by the arrival of a bandit who mocks
their attempts at keeping their karmic slates clean. "Why were you all
fussing over some stupid trade? Why not just kill the snake and eat it?" The
answer unfolds over succeeding volumes. Heavily influenced by Walt Disney,
Tezuka's often cute characters may take some getting used to, but his
storytelling is strong and clean. Appearing in handsome packages designed by
Chip Kidd, this is a stunning achievement.
     (Reed Business Information, Oct. 2003)

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_(manga): Description of Manga and main
	characters  (http://wapedia.mobi/en/Buddha_(manga))
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/lifebuddha/contents1.htm:
	Legendary life of Buddha, based on the Pali canon, which forms the
	basis of the Tezuka story.
Life of Buddha by Edward J. Thomas, 1949
	Reconstructs the legend of Buddha from various early sources.

--- BLURB
In book one, Kapilavastu, Chapra, an ambitious slave, spurns the caste system
into which he was born and tries to become a nobleman, Tatta, the wild pariah
child, communes with animals, and the monk, Naradatta, strives to uncover the
meaning of strange portents surrounding the Buddha's birth. Originated in the
1970s, Buddha is Osamu Tezuka's unparalleled rendition of the life and times
of Prince Siddhartha. Tezuka's storytelling genius and consummate skill at
visual expression blossom fully as he contextualizes the Buddha's ideas; with
an emphasis on action, emotion, humour and conflict as Prince Siddhartha runs
away from home, travels across India and questions Hindu practices such as
ascetic self-mutilation and caste oppression. Rather than recommend
resignation and impassivity, Tezuka's Buddha predicates enlightenment upon
recognizing the interconnectedness of life, having compassion for the
suffering, and ordering one's life sensibly, his approach is slightly
irreverent in that it incorporates something that Western commentators often
eschew, namely, humour.

June 20, 2005: Buddha Wins the 2005 Harvey Award for Best American Edition of
Foreign Material.