There are actually two stereotypes within this image, which is a still from one of the Karate Kid movies. The first is that of the Zen Buddhist who tends to his bonsai tree. Bonsai trees require a lot of time and attention to detail in order to sculpt into the shape the sculptor envisions. This fits nicely into something Brad Warner mentioned, “Everything you have, whether it’s money or stuff, is an obligation. It is as much your duty to care for and nurture any object you own as it would be if that object were your child”(22). In the Karate Kid movies (the originals anyway, I don’t know about the new one) Mr. Miyagi is always trimming his bonsai trees. Not that Mr. Miyagi is really a Zen Buddhist, but you have to admit that his teachings to “Daniel-san” definitely have a peaceful, almost Zen quality to them. The first thing I personally think of when I see a bonsai tree (after Karate Kid, of course) is Buddhism, since in many movies, TV shows, etc, Buddhists usually seem to be either meditating in some temple, or trimming their bonsai trees. This is not just a stereotype, however; according to www.bonsaigardener.org, it was Zen Buddhists who first introduced the bonsai tree to the Japanese. The Japanese then introduced the art form to the rest of the world, but it seems to have originated with Buddhists.
The second stereotype is that of the monk who is a master at martial arts. Again, I don’t think that Mr. Miyagi was actually a Buddhist, but it wouldn’t surprise me much if that is what his character was based on. I believe another example of this was the movie “Bulletproof Monk” with Chow Yun-Fat, in which Yun-Fat is a monk who also happens to be an undefeatable martial arts master. I highly doubt that there are many Buddhists who know any martial arts. Something I read in the introduction of Brad Warner’s book instantly reminded me of the training Mr. Miyagi gives to Daniel-san, though: “Zen is essentially a ‘back to basics’ view of Buddhism that emerged in China maybe a thousand years or so after Buddha died”(pg.X). Mr. Miyagi’s teachings are very much a “back to basics” form of karate, as he makes Daniel-san perform tasks such as waxing his car and painting his fence in order to learn blocking from muscle-memory. This, plus Mr. Miyagi’s Zen-like attitude, very much reminded me of the stereotype of the fighting monk.
