Shifu

Both stories open with a cast line that presents Shifu as a Buddhist monk. In Issue.4 he is an old man who climbs a mountain with the help of a staff, to visit the spot one last time while he still has the willpower to do so. When Braveheart asks his name, he answers that people call him Shifu and that the word is Mandarin for mentor. She also addresses him as Mr. Monk and Mr. Shifu.

In Issue.8 he is described as a wise and old Shifu who walks with all the tranquility in the world, holding a staff, carrying a scroll and a full waterskin, and wearing a yellow cape that covers one arm and shoulder. He says of himself: "People call me Shifu but my mother used to call me Little Buddha." He takes leave of Valor with the word Amituofo.

In The Finger and the Moon, Shifu says he comes to the mountain to feel its weight on his feet, while Braveheart comes to gaze at the moon. He raises his arm, points his index finger to the moon and asks her what she sees. Then he gives the lesson: "Do not mistake the finger for the moon." Further on, Issue.4 uses the story to talk about leadership: there are times to admire the moon and times to be aware of the land below your feet. Its section 4.2 says we forgot the lesson from the Shifu and calls him a chill Buddhist monk who is always in balance with life.

In The Way, Shifu finds Valor exhausted on a path that no longer makes sense to him. Valor asks for a map. Shifu has one, but asks: "Is it really a map you are waiting for, or do you lack the courage to explore the unknown, Valor?" He tells him that there is a path set in stone for each of us and that it is all about trusting yourself. He leaves Valor the water. Issue.8 presents the story with a podcast episode titled The Way: A tale about Courage.