The Search

This is a cartoon that was published in the Fall issue of Tricycle magazine. It shows Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563 - c. 483 BCE) under the Bodhi tree, the legendary site of his enlightenment and transformation into the Buddha (the awakened one), when he understood that suffering was caused by the human insistance on permanent states of being in a world of impermanence.
This alternate reality, however, depicts Siddhartha, rather than contemplating his life and experiences and the nature of suffering, on his phone looking for the 'hack' to attain enlightenment. It's a commentary on how much we stand to lose in our output-oriented society and our desire for quick fixes at the expense of depth of experience, understanding, and insight.
Perhaps even in just a small way, it's a helpful reminder that next time we have a few moments in line at the store or stopped at a red light, instead of pulling out the phone for a mindless scroll, sit quietly with what is; there's profound wisdom within.