Search Results for "buddhism"

In this short documentary we learn the back story of the Buddha – the religion he founded and how it is manifested today. Travel through Southeast Asia to India, Burma, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), Thailand, Japan, China and many other countries to discover the history and ideas behind Buddhism.

Having lived and taught in Asia, Dr. Ury will show you the path followed by those seeking enlightenment. Knowing the parallels and pitfalls of this system will help you to point them to the real source of truth.

Kung Fu star Barry Chan stars in this brilliant martial arts fantasy film from Taiwan. Buddhist spells and monkey magic help save the day against martial arts masters and evil wizards who plan to disrupt peace in the region.

Sexual abuses, mental manipulation and embezzlement: Tibetan Buddhism is shaken by serious scandals. An in-depth account that lifts the veil on the unspiritual underbelly of a religion venerated in Europe.

They have overcome many lives. Each full of struggles and unimaginable hardships. The illusion of wealth, success and fame crumbles into worthless dust in their minds. The history of Tibetans is the story of one of the greatest spiritual civilizations in human history. Its culture was valued and respected by scholars far and wide. Despite this, the Tibetans were pushed to the brink of extinction. In 1951, Tibet became part of China and suddenly the traditional culture was subjected to the pressure of an unknown ideology. The Tibetan landscape began to acquire a new face. Even Lhasa, the place of the gods, has changed beyond recognition, but the words of the Buddha, translated long ago into Tibetan, have preserved their message to this day: the path to liberation begins in each of us, and each of us has the prerequisites for achieving lasting happiness. (distributor's official text)

This docu-fiction, shot in India and Nepal, recounts the first moments of Buddhism, by rediscovering a time when everything had to be built. Travelers and teachers who visit the places where the Buddha lived today have the same impressions: they are trying to understand the problems he had to face. Why did Siddhartha leave his palace and his family? What was the original way he taught to end suffering? How did he prepare the community to last after his death? This docu-fiction brings history to life by focusing on "the man who became the Buddha".

Prajna is the Sanskrit word for radiant wisdom, and yatra is the word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. This visually stunning documentary is a cinematic pilgrimage exploring the lost civilization of Angkor in Cambodia, including the largest temple in the world, the magnificent Angkor Wat. The journey continues to sacred sites of the natural world, Hindu Bali, jungles of Java, and discovering Buddhist Borobudur. A John Bush film.

'Hannah' tells the story of Buddhist pioneer Hannah Nydahl and her life bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. From her idealistic roots in 1960's Copenhagen to the hippie trail in Nepal, Hannah and her husband Ole became two of the first Western students of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa - the first consciously reincarnated lama of Tibet in 1110. Hannah went on to become an assistant and translator for some of the most powerful Tibetan lamas and a bridge between Buddhism in the East and the West.

Documentary exploring the origins and proliferation of Buddhism throughout Chinese history

As the first documentary in the Yatra Trilogy, Dharma River is a timeless journey through legendary rivers to the greatest Buddhist temples and mystical sites of Laos, Thailand, and Burma. It offers a direct experience of lost civilizations, sacred spaces, and ancient traditions. A film by John Bush.

This documentary is the third part of The Yatra Trilogy created by John Bush. Vajra is the Sanskrit word signifying the thunderbolt of illumination, and yatra is the word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. This film offers a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its endangered Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival.

The Japanese population’s reaction to the catastrophe of March 2011 has been described as “stoic” by the Western media. The Japanese code of conduct is indeed deeply rooted in their Buddhist traditions, and young filmmakers Tim Graf and Jakob Montrasio observe in detail what this means for the people and their religion. At graveyards, in temples, at monasteries and with families, they question the impact this triple affliction has had on the lives and beliefs of the inhabitants. How deeply do their beliefs affect their grieving? What role do the monks play in assisting people with their grief? And, what effects has this enormous catastrophe had on their religious rituals? SOULS OF ZEN inserts the events of March 2011 into the context of traditional Zen Buddhism, examining Japan’s religiousness and the beliefs of those practising it at a crucial turning point.

Visualizes the mood of Buddhism as the oneness of man and nature. Includes commentary by Alan Watts.

Robert Thurman focuses on the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha in this three-part lecture series. He explains the Buddha as the teacher of enlightenment, the Dharma as the teaching and the Sangha as the historical and current community of learners. Robert Thurman is professor of Indo-Tibetan studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and one of the West's foremost scholars of Tibetan Buddhism.

Directed by Paul Zils and co-written with Regi Siriwardena, Buddhismus in Ceylon is a documentary exploring the practice of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The film traces the religion’s arrival from India over 2000 years ago, emphasizing its purest form as practiced in Ceylon. It highlights key rituals such as the Festival of Lights, the veneration of the Bodhi tree, and the Buddhist monastic journey. The documentary also contrasts the discipline of Buddhist teachings with the occasional resort to amulets and Hindu deities, offering a comprehensive view of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist culture and its path toward nirvana.

The film depicts the culture, traditions and socio-economic conditions of Tibetans in India.

Explore the fascinating history and main characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism in China with this informative documentary, which profiles the Eastern religion's fundamental beliefs, dedicated followers, most meaningful rituals and much more. In addition to being widely practiced in northeastern China, Tibetan Buddhism also enjoys considerable popularity in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Mongolia and, of course, Tibet.

If the Buddha of India met the Buddha of Japan, would they recognize each other? To find out, this program talks to the staff in a Tokyo restaurant who keep regular Zen meditation schedules as part of their job, then on to the classical Zen calligraphy, swordfighting, archery and tea ceremony.

Rinzin Jurmey chose to join a monastery and dedicate his life to Buddhism at the age of 11, loving its rituals and traditions. Now 18, he moves harmoniously between mountain village and city, embracing tradition and pop culture, religion and hip-hop, prayer and video games. With guidance from cinematographer Cat Papadimitriou, Jurmey documents the ways in which he – and his country – are striving to preserve ancient practices while embracing modernity.

Legend has it that in a faraway place beyond the edge of the earth, there exists a broken-hearted man with infinite power. Abandoned by his loved ones, the inheritance of the old man's chi power becomes a battleground for evil outsiders.

A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.

From the creators of You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie comes a compelling portrait of three modern lives in need of new direction and new meaning. In his first-ever movie, Wayne Dyer explores the spiritual journey in the second half of life when we long to find the purpose that is our unique contribution to the world. The powerful shift from the ego constructs we are taught early in life by parents and society—which promote an emphasis on achievement and accumulation—are shown in contrast to a life of meaning, focused on serving and giving back. Filmed on coastal California’s spectacular Monterey Peninsula, The Shift captures every person’s mid-life longing for a more purposeful, soul-directed life.

In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Tang Sanzang must fight against monstrous demons, as well as contend with a beautiful demon hunting woman on his path to enlightenment.

The all-powerful Monkey King once roamed freely between Heaven and Earth, but after angering the Gods, he was imprisoned within an ice cage deep within the mountains. 500 years later, monsters attack a small village and a child flees to the mountains. Unknowingly, the child releases the Monkey King from his curse. With the help and encouragement from this special child, Monkey King saves the village from the evil monsters.

Gu Sheng-zhai, an artist in his early 30s, still lives with his mother, but he is suddenly shaken by the arrival of Yang Hui-zhen, a mysterious princess on the run. Yang brings Gu into her circle of protectors, including a nameless monk whose spiritual guidance transforms him into a valiant fighter.

After a Tibetan boy, the mystical Golden Child, is kidnapped by the evil Sardo Numspa, humankind's fate hangs in the balance. On the other side of the world in Los Angeles, the priestess Kee Nang seeks the Chosen One, who will save the boy from death. When Nang sees social worker Chandler Jarrell on television discussing his ability to find missing children, she solicits his expertise, despite his skepticism over being "chosen."

Suffering from acute kidney failure, Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave—the birthplace of his first life.

An epic fantasy loosely based on Buddhist mythology, it is set in the mythical realm of Asura — the dimension of pure desire which is threatened by a coup from a lower heavenly kingdom.

In Burma during the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier separated from his unit disguises himself as a Buddhist monk to escape imprisonment as a POW.

Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands as a prisoner of war. He escapes with a fellow detainee and makes his way to Lhasa, Tibet, where he meets the 14-year-old Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his outlook on life.

Three students seek the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhist master, soccer aficionado and filmmaker Khyentse Norbu in this captivating documentary, which takes viewers on a journey from the World Cup in Germany to the isolated Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. Bernardo Bertolucci and Steven Seagal make appearances in the film, and the world music soundtrack is provided by Sting, Tara Slone and Joydrop, Steve Tibbetts, U.Man.Tek, Kunga 19 and many others.

Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, are living together as roommates in a Tokyo apartment while taking a vacation on Earth. The comedy often involves jokes about Christianity, Buddhism, and all things related, as well as the main characters' attempts to hide their identities and understand modern society in Japan.

Giovanni currently lives a dreary life of near non-stop work. At school, his peers ridicule him incessantly, and his employer at work is distant and cold. As his isolation from society becomes unbearable, he suddenly finds himself on a train heading far away from his miserable home. Accompanied by Campanella, an acquaintance from school, Giovanni embarks on a journey that will define the rest of his life.

A sister and brother, the last heirs of a family of acrobats, are called upon by a Buddhist monk sect to retrieve an artifact that their ancestors have protected throughout the ages.

In the 12th century, Buddhism was still a relatively new religion in Japan. At that time, one school (Shingon) offered extensive training in complex and very demanding practices which might eventually bring about spiritual purification and realization. Various Zen schools offered students a lengthy path, literally composed of a blank wall and unceasing meditation. Yet another school (Tendai) emphasized complex metaphysics and the study of philosophical systems. Basically, all of them were designed to cater to the few who were able to give up everything else in their lives and focus on liberation, such as scholars and noblemen. In this historical and biographical drama, this is the situation that the young Shinran (1173-1263) discovered when he began exploring Buddhism as an alternative to the violence and ceaseless civil wars that racked Japan at the time.

A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle. Imamura, with this metaphor, introduces the life of Tome, who keeps trying to change her poor life.

Volunteering as a "comfort woman" on the Manchurian front, where she is expected to service hundreds of soldiers, Harumi is commandeered by the brutal Lieutenant Narita but falls for the sensitive Mikami, Narita's direct subordinate. Seijun Suzuki's Story of a Prostitute is a tragic love story as well as a rule-bending take on a popular Taijiro Tamura novel, challenging military and fraternal codes of honor, as seen through Harumi's eyes.

After going down in the fifth round, boxer Bud Gordon bowed out of the limelight. Now residing in a fixer-upper apartment in New Jersey with his girlfriend, Bud longs for his former Manhattan glory. In an effort to get back in the game, he makes a deal with a crooked restaurateur. But quick schemes rarely bring easy pay-offs and as the consequences of his business negotiations unfold, Bud has to make a choice between his integrity and his aspirations.

Hell manifests itself through the sins, shame and desires of an upper class rural family and a mother's grief from beyond the grave.