Check out the nice spread in the Los Angeles Times today about the work of my friend Noah Levine, Dharma Punx Founder and Buddhist Teacher.

My main thought is that Noah implicitly understands something very important that a lot of Buddhist teachers don’t always grasp: The Art of Branding.

Noah gets a lot of publicity because his tattoos, but his brand is more than that. He has successfully made Buddhism the natural next evolution of 80’s and 90’s punk culture and rebellion. He has a very smart and coherent brand, and he has helped a large and growing group of people with it, and a group who might otherwise be turned off to Buddhism’s more baby-boomer brand seen in the Shambhala Sun and other places. And there’s nothing wrong with branding. In fact, the problem is when you have no coherent brand, which is where a lot of spiritual groups experience shortcomings. What do you think? Is the ink a gimmick, or a skillful means?