This could be titled "Buddhism and Polytheism"
Doraemon's Buddhist journey
SUPHAN BURI : The mural on the walls of an ancient temple has been aesthetically infused with the contemporary _ the Doraemon cartoon character appearing in scenes of the Lord Buddha's past lives and the wisdom tied to the afterlife.
Rakkiat Lertjitsakul, 34, tends to the finest details of his painting on the walls of the almost 700-year-old Wat Sampa Siw in Muang district.
The mural has attracted crowds, some amazed and others bewildered by incongruous sights such as Doraemon swimming in an oversized pan of boiling water in hell.
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An artist has inserted images of Doraemon, among other pop-culture references, to murals in a temple in Suphan Buri. Can you spot the blue cat in this photo?
Doraemon, iPad and Angry Birds appear in Thai temple murals
A temple once used by the legendary King of Siam Naresuan the Great as a staging ground for troops is now home to a range of a new, modern-day cast of heroic characters, with the likes of television’s Doraemon, Masked Rider and Ben 10 making appearances in murals throughout the ancient wat. The abbot of the temple, Phra Anand Gussalalanggaro, said that the murals are a good way to get people’s attention, especially children. They will, through the murals, learn about the law of Karma and better understand that “what goes around, comes around,” which can be illustrated in many ways, including with Doraemon, Phra Anand said.
A representative of Sam Pa Siew temple said that these characters, used to illustrate Buddhist principles, are called “tua kang” in Thai. The murals must depict one of Buddha’s lives or scenes from folk tales. An artist has freedom to paint anything reflecting people’s lifestyles, as long as it contains moral or ethical messages, the representative said.
On the temple grounds, visitors may also come across four Doraemon statues embodying the principles of “see no evil, here no evil, speak no evil,” originally depicted by statues of monkeys.
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Doraemon at Thailand’s Wat Sampa Siw
In the video, except for the obvious Doraemon shouting ห้ามจับภาพ /hâam jàp pâap/ (heh hehhhh), the cat cartoons can’t be seen. And even though I had my face right close to the mural, I still had difficulties locating the cartoons. Everyone did. But soon a novice monk stepped in to point out the hidden Doraemons.
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Buddhism discovers Doraemon
Like it or hate it, it’s something different
A mural at 700-year-old Wat Sampa Siw in Muang district of Suphan Buri has been attracting crowds recently. It is probably the only temple in Thailand where you can see the popular Doraemon cartoon character appearing in scenes of the Lord Buddha's past lives and the afterlife.
Some onlookers are amazed, others pleased and still others bewildered by incongruous sights such as Doraemon swimming in an oversized pan of boiling water in hell.
Some approve, saying the paintings have tackled serious subjects with hidden religious messages of virtue prevailingover evil. The depiction of Doraemon also provides an entertaining break from tradition, according to some temple visitors.
But others, such as Suphan Buri resident Sarawut Pathumsut, do not find the mural amusing. He says Doraemon is totally foreign to traditional Buddhist belief.
The artist, Rakkiat Lertjitsakul, 34, says his sole intent was to entertain.
"It's to express my sense of humour. When I was in a fun mood, I painted Doraemon on the mural," he said.
He added that the Japanese cartoon character did not play a conspicuous part in the mural. "Unless you look hard, you can barely see it," he said.
Doraemon pops up in scenes where he meets angels in heaven, swims in the ocean, hides behind a Buddha image in a chapel, and struggles in a pan of boiling water in hell.
An avid fan of Doraemon since childhood, Mr Rakkiat said the round physical shape of the character appealed to him.
He said Doraemon's presence in the mural could represent human spirit and greed as well as good and evil. It was up to one's imagination, he said.
"The Doraemon [images] should draw children to the temple. At first, they might come to see the cartoon but once they are here, they will be immersed in something virtuous," he said.
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