Mitch Blum

As a child, I never realized how perfect the Smurf community was. But re-watching their adventures I can finally appreciate what an amazing society those little blue scamps built. They were truly living the dharma.

Think about it. Every single Smurf understands and embraces his righteous duty. Their life’s work is dedicated to staying on the virtuous path.

In one episode some of the Smurfs were giving Lazy some shit about him not helping with the building of a dam (there’s apparently a lot of dam-building required in Smurf Village). My son turned to me and said, “but that’s his nature. He’s lazy.”

Smart kid. Noble Smurfs.

In another episode, Grouchy doesn’t feel well and Papa suggests that he act a little happier. Well, Grouchy just gets sicker and Papa finally realizes that Grouchy has to hate everything…that’s his true nature. Naturally, re-embracing his hateful ways makes him better…and happier.

As a spiritually-advanced society the Smurfs understand that they are all one. They need each other to survive. They are interdependent beings, merely separate manifestations of the same ultimate reality.

The cycle of life and death (samsara) is well represented by the evil wizard Gargamel and his aptly named cat Azrael. When Smurfs stray from the path they suffer at the hands of the archangel of death. But as these noble creatures don’t bear the burden of negative karma, they are always rescued and returned to the source.

The Smurfs would be the perfect community is not for one unfortunate aspect: they’re sexists. There are well over 100 known Smurfs in existence and there are only 3 women. Sadly, these women possess no duty beyond just being women – objects of desire for the menfolk. Even worse, Smurfette was created by Gargamel as part of one of his evil schemes and she had to be “fixed” by Papa Smurf before she could join the community. Papa changed her hair from black to gold, which is probably a racist dig, but there’s no further evidence to support charges of racism.