On the Horse we sometimes call ‘em Dharma-Burgers. Over at his new Tumblr, “Dispirited Dave” calls ‘em “examples of the sometimes rather odd/clashing use of the Buddha as an image in the West.”
Check them out here: http://dispirited-dave.tumblr.com/. It’ll be fun to see what else pops up there.
From the "Mixtape" cover
The announcement I just saw about rapper A Cultivator (yes, that’s his name, “A Cultivator”) made a big deal like he’s the first person to bring rap and dharma together. But that’s hardly true — if you’ve been visiting the Horse for a while you know there’s been plenty of that. But that doesn’t make the idea any less worthwhile. Of course, with rap, so much is in the delivery, so you’ll have to see for yourself how A Cultivator stacks up, but you can do that by downloading his “Buddhist Hip Hop Mixtape” for free. Click here. From Skillful Methods Records, whose mission, they say, is “to build a movement based on the deepest values and meanings by which people live and contribute the art that will encourage and advance all toward the realization of enlightenment.”
Note: a little Googling seems to suggest that A Cultivator is down with Dorje Chang Buddha III, a spiritual teacher who’s been the subject of some notable controversy and criticism.
…and here’s the result:
Don’t know who to credit, but it wasn’t me!
You may have seen this photo (or others like it) going around, posted on Facebook, etc, with a note that it’s of Burmese monks praying for world peace. That’s not quite accurate.
The actual story is that this is from a photoset of what some call a cult, based out of Thailand, whose “mass ceremonies are inspired by the head abbot’s fascination with the Muslim hajj gatherings and Nazi parades…” That description and the photoset itself — called “Close Encounters of the Buddhist Kind” — come from Foreign Policy. These photos really do beg to be seen. Only, in context.
So there’s someone at the American Buddhist Center in the Kansas City, MO district of Westport, trying to get people into discussions of spirituality via short YouTube videos. You might bristle at first, but then again, doesn’t it seem like a skillful idea for our times? At least to help people get a foot in the door?
Vern Barnet of the Kansas City Star has the story, and some video (one or two you might recognize from the Horse) links too.
Frequent visitors to The Worst Horse probably know Born I Music, though they may know him more by his previous moniker, Born Infinite — the name he went by went he was half of the rap duo Shambhala.
Happy to say I’ve just done a new Shambhala Sun Audio interview with Born as he celebrates the release of his new solo album, Tomorrow is Today. Hope you’ll check it out; he’s a straight-up and talented and inspiring dude. And he knows his Buddhism, too.
In response to this video from the other day, the great teacher and author Frank Jude Boccio writes to send word about a related “Heart Sutra” video. Says Frank Jude:
LOVED [the previous Heart Sutra video]! And of course, I then went through most of the other versions (rock, techno, bossa nova, reggae, rap) but I have to say, I was really bowled over by this one:
Yes, “bowled over” seems about right… And somehow, it also seems like an understatement.
Thanks, FJ!
Big thanks to the mighty Sam DeWitt for sending on this “Pop Heart Sutra” after finding it on the YouTubes.
(The little dude haunting around in the background is my favorite part. That, or maybe the key change. Though when the little dude walks into the foreground, a la Fred Armisen’s David Paterson impression, that’s pretty sweet too.)
Well, whaddya know? The Worst Horse has received a “Best Achievement in Design” nomination in this year’s Blogisattva Awards. (And an Honorable Mention for Best “Life” Blog.)
Thank you!
The main thing about these Awards is to get a chance to be exposed to some of the best Buddhist bloggers out there. So check out all the finalists; winners to be announced this coming Sunday.
TMcG, over at Full Contact Enlightenment just found something quite interesting.
I just came across the blog Buddhism Sucks and am quite interested in the inquiry that the author is undertaking.
Comes with the warning:
Don’t read this blog if you want to be a good little Buddhist and you’re looking for an excuse to shave your head. I’m just a regular guy trying to give you a shot of some straight up Buddhism, free from all the saturated fat!
So now that you’ve been warned, see what you think. Check it. (And thanks to those who have left comments.)
