In the 17th chapter of the Surangama Sutra Ananda says to the Buddha, “World Honored One, as sentient beings drift further away from the Buddha, misguided people who teach the Dharma become as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. . . .” To which the Buddha replies, “As for this issue you bring up, establish practice centers for rescuing and supporting sentient beings sunk in the morass of the latter age of the Dharma. . . .” This passage would seem to be referring to the contemporary world, yet Sakyamuni Buddha remains the supreme guide of sentient beings, and can be likened to a kindly father or an intimate friend. Now quite advanced in age, Master Hsing Yun has recently written a topical poem in 2,452 characters titled “Dear Buddha, where are you,” which appears in his book Master Hsing Yun’s Poetry for the World. In this research I created a picture book based on this poem, consisting of six chapters: Location, Sacred Sites, Doctrine and Scripture, People, Vehicles, and The Buddha Appears.
In this picture book I join Master Hsing Yun on a whirlwind journey in search of the Buddha, from the sacred sites of Buddhism to the Buddhist scriptures, and then to a Buddhist monastery. During the course of the journey we make use of a wide variety of vehicles, so as to leave no stone unturned. In this poem Hsing Yun sees the Buddha manifesting in various guises, including his ordination master, eminent monastics of the past, his parents, and all beings. The poem ends by emphasizing that the Buddha is to be found in one’s own heart and mind, as well as in all aspects of daily life, as expressed in a verse from the Diamond Sutra: “He who sees me by outward appearance or seeks me in sound, treads the heterodox path and cannot perceive the Tathagata.”
The main findings are as follows: 1) In transforming text into a picture book, the sections with a relatively concrete meaning present few difficulties, in contrast to the passages which have an abstract meaning, such as the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness. This difficulty can be overcome to some extend by reciting the passage in question multiple times, as well as with the use of suitable metaphors and stories; 2) The Buddhist teachings make abundant use of metaphors, parables, and allegories, so as to facilitate the understanding of people of differing backgrounds and capacities; and 3) highly abstruse concepts can be expressed through the use of representational images and symbols.
