Award-winning author Minh Lê and illustrator Chan Chau collaborated to produce Enlighten Me, a graphic novel for young readers. After he is threatened with disciplinary action at school following a fight, Bihn and his family travel to Three Jewels Mountain Retreat for meditation exercises.
Binh Bui, a Vietnamese boy, is taunted for eating cat and takes on the school bully. Thinking he is a hero, like those he sees in his video games, Binh is confused by the reaction of his parents and his vice principal.
While at Three Mountains, Binh learns from the teachings of Sister Peace about the diamond of knowledge that grants inner peace. At first, Binh, who can’t think past his boredom and desire for his Game Boy, fakes meditating. But as Sister Peace shares several stories about the young Buddha and his many lives as told through the Jataka tales, realization comes.
Any readers seeking answers can join Binh on his path to enlightenment as he discovers a way past his suffering and as he learns to think past his feeling of being “not enough” to find a sense of belonging.
A bonus in this book comes in its presentation of the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha—an important concept in Buddhism.
- Posted by Donna