Weird thematic problems

It says something about how Egyptian mummies have been overdone that given a choice, I'd rather draw a bog body or a Chinese mummy of some sort. I love New Kingdom stuff! I figure I'll do two drawings and submit both to this guy, since he's fairly easy going.

Thing is, most mummified bodies in the real world might pass for zombies. Even if I could successfully show that a Celtic type had been ritually killed three times, or include a stylized burned oat cake as the background, would anyone other than me go "oooh, bog body"? I can imagine all sorts of fun fantasy scenarios with a hugely bloated Han dynasty matron rising from her coffin of mercury and spices to lumber forwards towards the PCs, or adventurers panicking as their weapons glance off the gleaming panels of a jade burial suit, but I don't think anyone's going to look at that and go "mummy"!

(no subject)

Also in passing, it's really hilarious to see how Buddhism really goes through cultural filters. Maybe I am biased here since Jews may be too small a group to easily see those differences in anything other than the biggest scale. (I do notice that for instance, the Persians contributed to the religion a quasi-pagan story with a pretty woman, and lot of social interaction and engineering. If Persians had access to coffee and tobacco during the Babylonian Captivity, I'm sure Purim would involve more smoking.)

Since I'm a fan of Japanese history and architecture, I keep seeing things which are incredibly Japanese and just happen to be about Buddhism as well. At worst, authoritative attitudes and expansive militarism and at best, an acceptance of the natural world; the very Japanese fondness for tragedy and big over the top surrealism. Is having a monk preserve their own body an attempt to stave off transience - or is it also a clever dig that however much effort you sink in, the person was quite transient? Is that banner with "he who retreats is assured of Hell, while he who advances gains Heaven" just the face value of rather aggressive wordliness, or does it actually have some stuff to say? I can see how it's very Japanese to accept a world that is deeply spiritual and resonant and empty and, at the same time, dogmatic and fleshy and full of details.

I see this elsewhere, too. Right now I'm thinking about just how much Americans (myself included) tend to approach studying and practicing Buddhism in a highly individualistic fashion focused on self-improvement and a more positive attitude.

There's nothing wrong with any of this - everyone comes from somewhere, and most things are at least kinda silly after all - it's just amusing.