Rodney Alan Greenblat - Dharma Delight: A Visionary Post Pop Comic Guide to Buddhism and Zen

About the Author

Rodney began drawing and painting at the age of three. His big break came in 1970 when, at the age of ten, he was given the opportunity to illustrate the cover of his elementary school parent-teacher association handbook. Years later he moved to New York City, and his lively, colorful sculptures and paintings became an integral part of the ballooning East Village art scene, including several one-person shows at the legendary Gracie Mansion Gallery. In 1985 his large sculpture Ark of Triumph was featured in the prestigious Whitney Museum Biennial Exhibition. In the 1990s Rodneys experimentation with the personal computer led him to the production of interactive CD-ROMs and then to the video game industry. He became the artistic force behind the best-selling Sony PlayStation game PaRappa The Rapper. This led to a whole line of popular consumer products distributed in Japan, as well as a weekly animated television series, also in Japan. Rodney has been creating characters and illustrations for some of the worlds most respected companies and publications, including Family Mart, Sony, Toyota, The New Yorker and The New York Times. Rodney is a senior student at the Village Zendo Zen center in New York City where he has received the Buddhist name Musho. Rodney continues his colorful and enchanting way of true expression.

See more of Rodneys artwork on his website whimsyload.com

About Tuttle
Books to Span the East and West

Our core mission at Tuttle Publishing is to create books which bring people together one page at a time. Tuttle was founded in 1832 in the small New England town of Rutland, Vermont (USA). Our fundamental values remain as strong today as they were thento publish best-in-class books informing the English-speaking world about the countries and peoples of Asia. The world has become a smaller place today and Asias economic, cultural and political influence has expanded, yet the need for meaningful dialogue and information about this diverse region has never been greater. Since 1948, Tuttle has been a leader in publishing books on the cultures, arts, cuisines, languages and literatures of Asia. Our authors and photographers have won numerous awards and Tuttle has published thousands of books on subjects ranging from martial arts to paper crafts. We welcome you to explore the wealth of information available on Asia at www.tuttlepublishing.com.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Josephine my mother for getting me started. Thanks to my father who let me turn the attic, garage and porch into art studios. Thanks to Deena Lebow my wife for talking it all over with me and laughing about it. Thanks to Cleo and Kimberly my daughters who helped me to grow up (almost). Thanks to Gloria Lebow my mother-in-law who I should have listened to more. Thanks to Roshi Enkyo OHara for creating the Zen circle that I now sit in. Thanks to Sensei Joshin OHara for looking at the world in a totally different way.

Dedication

Dedicated to my dog Loki 1998 - 2013. Goodbye little white shadow.

Copyright

2016 Rodney Alan Greenblat

The GOLDEN MOMENT ( ordinary .)

Happening over and over again.

A Buddha for everyone,

awake to the world,

as it is wonderful.

ENLIGHTENMENT EVE

Finally Shakyamuni sat on a little hill under a tree and vowed not to get up until clairity came.

Soon his thoughts were filled with doubt as demons of desire and delusion taunted him.

He forged on through the night, resisting the demons, who eventually left in disgust. He then became calm and alright with himself.

Looking up in the dawn sky he saw the morning star shining and, suddenly, the clarity that had eluded him naturally appeared. He touched the ground in gratitude.

Every December 8th we commemorate Shakyamuni Buddhas enlightenment by sitting in meditation all night. In Japanese-style Zen temples this night is called Rohatsu.

STUDY YOUR SELF

The great teacher Dogen Zenji lived in Japan 814 years ago.

To study the self is to look at something that is changing all the time. When the idea of a solid self is forgotten, the circumstance and need create who you are. Dogen says the myriad things are actualizing you at every moment.

To study the self can be a difficult task, but it is well worth doing. Looking carefully at the self can reveal the causes and conditions of so much of our collective suffering as well as our collective joy.

The best way to study the self is in meditation.

Lunch

So it was said in the old sutra, yet vegetarianism is not required to practice the Buddha way. In our temple in New York City only a small percentage of our group has decided on vegetarianism.