The use of Buddhist imagery and the use of Buddha would, if anything, cause a certain level of confusion I think. While I get that they’re trying to tie the use of marijuana to an open and enlightened state of being and understanding, it ignores that according to Buddhist text, the Buddha spoke against the use of intoxicants.

The adulteration of revered images is a sign of something entering the mainstream in capitalist societies.

They’ve been doing equally terrible shit to Jesus in the United States for much longer than the Buddha has had to endure. Obviously these are not exactly congruous figures, but still. The fact that the Buddha’s image is being used and abused is a sign Buddhism is settling into capitalist America, for better or worse.

In the Kesa Kudoku, Dogen recounted the story of a prostitute who put on a kesa as a joke, but received merit from so doing and eventually attained enlightenment. That idea may sound a bit superstitious to Western ears (and we could quibble over my use of the word “attained”), but I think it’s a worthwhile thing to consider. What if all of this flagrant and crass misuse of Buddhist language and imagery causes someone who has never heard the dharma to look into it? What if even one person suffers a little less because of it, and maybe even realizes that happiness can be found in life outside of the business end of a bong? It could happen …

i think that’s an important point to pose, Jaime.

But marijuana grows wild in Kapilvastu and surrouding areas. It’s likely Gautam Siddharth was familiar with wild plants where he lived.