boom-2
Explanation
This comic shows a group of Buddhist monks gathered under a tree. One monk is celebrating triumphantly, arms raised, shouting: "Booom! My impermanent non-identity does it again! Don't even put my name on the scoreboard because there is no true 'me.' Who checked all your asses? One more time!"
The caption reads: "Once again, Dharma Brother Lee takes first place for ego-death."
The joke hinges on a fundamental contradiction in Buddhist practice. In Buddhism, "ego-death" or the dissolution of the self is a central goal -- the realization that the individual self is an illusion, that there is no permanent "me." But the monk in the comic has turned this ego-dissolving achievement into a competitive sport, complete with trash-talking and victory celebrations.
The humor lies in the inherent paradox: the monk is bragging about how good he is at having no ego. He is being maximally egotistical about achieving ego-lessness. His demand to not put his name on the scoreboard is itself a form of showing off. The phrase "Who checked all your asses?" is pure competitive swagger, the exact opposite of the serene detachment that ego-death is supposed to produce.
The caption deepens the joke by noting this happens repeatedly ("once again"), suggesting that Brother Lee is a serial offender who consistently wins the ego-death competition -- and consistently misses the irony of winning at losing oneself. It satirizes how spiritual practices can be co-opted by the very ego they aim to dissolve.