"It was HARD.
My legs hurt; I couldn't concentrate.
How do you even clear your mind?
I can't lose myself in the moment, and I
think Sister Peace knows I'm faking
meditating ... I wish that I had my
Game Boy, and ... "
Binh is not pleased at all when his parents make a plan for their Vietnamese family to spend a weekend at a silent meditation retreat. There are many things he would rather be doing. At the heart of his aversion to going is not having his Game Boy for the duration of the time there; more important than even that is the fact that being quiet and retrospective will give him too much time to focus on the bullying he is facing at school.
When Sister Peace, a Buddhist monk, begins to speak to the young participants about Siddhartha and the Jataka tales from his life, Binh finds himself able to imagine a place where he can create a gaming world to deal with all of the emotions he is hiding from his family. As each tale is shared with the youth group, Binh becomes more clearly aware of his family and how he can help them.
I have never read a graphic novel with a focus on Buddhism. I know there will be middle grade readers who would enjoy the story told here. Fans of graphic novels for that age group will find much to hold their attention, and elements of the storytelling that will reflect on their own lives. Video games interest many, and the world Bihn builds to help him deal with his internalized worries are likely to appeal, as are issues of not fitting in, being bullied, and trying to find a way to be more mindful of others. Moving from present to past, and using Sister Peace's stories to find some inner peace himself will certainly be appreciated. Humor and connection to community are welcome in this exploration of who Binh is and how he responds to the tenets of Buddhism in a new and thoughtful way.
“The journey to becoming a Buddha is long, and not one that should be traveled alone.”
A bibliography is appended.
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