Dow, Ryan – L’il Buddha Loves You

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L’il Buddha Loves You

I absolutely love the adorable, round and happy Buddha on the cover right above the disclaimer that this might not suitable for kids.  I don’t know why but it just tickles me.  This is a collection of Buddha strips that Ryan has apparently done for his website over the years, so the story doesn’t exactly follow a straight line.  Then again, what good are straight lines in the quest for enlightenment?  L’il Buddha gently cajoles Ryan (I’m assuming it’s him in these comics and not a nameless lead character) into meditating more often, gets Ryan to admit to an embarrassing personal story (which is smartly interrupted from our perspective by an ad for Tofu Buddha Dogs), makes jokes that fly right over Ryan’s head, transforms briefly into a business executive, helps Ryan feel OK with a general lack of direction (while advising him to strive for more), and explains how Ryan’s problems with women stem from him not wanting to admit to growing up.  Of course, if this isn’t about Ryan then this review is damned near slander, but it’s still a good story even with a nameless main character.  If you’re looking to understand Buddhism this doesn’t exactly dig deep, but there’s plenty of wisdom in this little package.  It’s funny, smart and even informative.  You could do a whole lot worse than this, and it’s one more thing that tells me that I should have picked up his graphic novel when I had the chance.  Sigh, maybe next year.  No price, but let’s say $2.