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After collecting about a dozen ‘Batman Black & White’ statues, which are released periodically into the market, I decided to give up. Okay, lest you mistaken, these are really statues worthy of showcasing – individually hand-painted porcelain ones – not tiny plastic action figures. They cost about SDG$100 each. I started collecting them because they were really well-crafted, bringing out the physical and emotional essence of how various renown Batman artists over the ages interpreted him. I consider these pieces works of art – originally of two dimensions made three-dimensional.\u00a0Part of me identified with the angsty righteousness of Batman too – there is a sense of empathy mixed with admiration over how he unrelentingly faces his outer and inner demons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So why did I stop? Although the statues are each certified limited editions (with a rough average of about 3,000 of each made), I recently realised that the Batman Black & White series itself is not a limited one – it seems to go on and on with more and more new statues, probably because it is rather profitable! DC Comics is even churning out a Black & White Joker and Penguin! I began collecting with the thought that there would be an end to the collection, based upon the versions of Batman featured in the three volumes of the acclaimed Batman Black & White comic series, but DC even came up with a Gotham Knight (the animated film) Black & White statue (the last of which I bought). It made me sit up, to look objectively at each upcoming statue to see it for its worth, instead of buying just to collect. I stopped rationalising the worth of each just to to buy.<\/p>\n
It struck me that all our samsaric material (or even experiential) collections, even if they have educational or inspirational qualities, are really likewise – of limited editions part of an unlimited series – as long as we are unenlightened and cling to wanting more. What do I really need to collect? It’s Dharma realisations that really matter; not just Dharma lessons. On a related note, I don’t make it a point to track and read complete graphic novels series sequentially anymore – I just read what’s available in public libraries. There are still good self-contained lessons to be gleaned from each episode. This is how I’m now less of a ‘gatherer’, more of a ‘picker’ – I get what I can with less attachment to complete the uncompleted. What matters more is how completely we learn from each episode of our lives; not how many intriguing episodes we experience or collect – especially in terms of countless\u00a0memorabilia\u00a0and photos!\u00a0(For the record, I ‘pick up’ small Buddha statues too \u00a0– they are expressions of benevolent compassion to me, while Batman ones are of wrathful compassion!)<\/p>\n
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