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- Film offers an immersive and emotionally-engaging way to give students productive encounters with world religions, thereby building empathy and understanding. In the case of Buddhism, there are wonderful Buddhist films from around the world that offer students a window into the diverse array of Buddhist experiences and practices.
religionmatters.org/2024/05/10/introducing-students-to-buddhism-through-film-and-experiential-learning/
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- Eternal smiles Discover the beauty of China’s Buddhist sculptures. Discover the beauty of China’s Buddhist sculptures and explore their serenity and peace.
- Hidden Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. Are you ready to explore a region that has been lost in time? Join two travelers on their journey into the Zanskar valley, a place they hadn’t visited for 30 years.
- Samsara. Samsara is a nonverbal, guided meditation that takes you on an exploration of the human experience. From the mundane to the miraculous, it shows how energy is ever-changing and explores our spirituality and humanity as we move through life’s ups and downs.
- Tulku. Tulku, a 2009 documentary, explores the unique story of five Tulkus or reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist teachers born in the western world following Tibet’s Buddhist diaspora.
May 10, 2024 · Season One consists of six 42-minute episodes, and the Journeys in Film curriculum guide references specific clips. Students can learn about historical Buddhist beliefs and the historical expansion of Buddhism, while also getting a brief introduction to Tibetan Mandala art and Buddhist meditation.
- Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left For The East
- Zen – The Life of Zen Master Dogen
- Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring
- Milarepa
- Samsara
- Kundun
- Un Buda / A Buddha
- Siddhartha
- The Cup
- Hector and The Search For Happiness
This South Korean movie follows the lives of three Buddhist monks: an elderly monk, an adult monk, and an orphaned boy. It’s a slow-paced, meditative movie that includes several flashbacks. This relaxing and beautiful film can be enjoyed as an introduction to Zen. This film is about two Zen koans: ‘what was my original face before my mother and fat...
This movie is a fascinating biography of Zen master Dogen Zenji. Dogen was born in Japan and started seeking liberation after his mother’s death. He got his early training in the Tendai Schoolin Kyoto. Dissatisfied with its teaching, he traveled to China and practiced for five years. Then, after attaining enlightenment, he returned to Japan and beg...
This South Korean movie features a Buddhist monastery that floats on a lake. The story revolves around the life of a young Buddhist monk as he goes through phases of life. As is clear from the title, this movie looks at the cyclical nature of life. Its story is simple, but the movie excellently uses Buddhist symbols to comment on the consequences o...
This movie is about the life of the most famous Tibetan tantric Jetsun Milarepa. It’s filmed in the beautiful Spiti Valleyand tells the story of Tibet’s greatest legend. It follows a young boy who is pushed into a world of sorrow after his father’s sudden death. To take revenge on his enemies, he sets out to learn occult and black magic. Finally, t...
Samsara tells the story of a Buddhist monk’s quest to find spiritual enlightenment by renouncing the world. It captures the complications of spirituality and sexuality really well. Tashi began his training as a Buddhist monk when he was five. After having practiced The Way for twenty years, he struggles with sexuality and starts having wet dreams. ...
Kundun is a biographical film of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14thDalai Lama. The word “Kundun” means “presence”, a title by which Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama. In 1937, a two-year-old child is identified as the reincarnation of the Compassionate Buddha. He’s brought to Lhasa where he grows up as a monk. When he was 14, the Chinese invade Tibet. The movi...
A Buddha is an Argentine movie that stunningly depicts the experience of spiritual awakening. It’s an emotional movie directed by Diego Rafecas, a Zen teacher in Argentina. With beautiful music and cinematography, it absorbs you right from the beginning. The film follows the lives of two brothers who were orphaned during the wars in the 1970s in Ar...
Ah, the classic! Siddhartha is based on a novel of the same name by Hermann Hesse. It’s a tough job to turn his book into a movie, but the film manages to capture artificial settings and philosophical sincerity. It’s an inspirational movie and a must-watch for anyone looking to get into spirituality as it beautifully shows the quest of one of the m...
The movie shows a side of monastic reality that may not seem proper. The monks of The Cupeven become involved in a brawl. It’s a light movie and a fun reminder that monks are human too. This is a Tibetan story told from a Tibetan perspective. It ties in strongly with Buddhist teachings, and you get exposed to Tibetan culture. In this movie, two soc...
Hector and the Search for Happinessis a comedy-drama movie that tells the story of a bored psychiatrist named Hector. He becomes increasingly tired of his routine life and embarks on a journey to find the meaning of happiness. On his way, he meets various characters and situations that teach him valuable life lessons. It’s not exactly a Buddhist mo...
- Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003) – Kim Ki-duk. On a floating monastery in a beautiful lake, a young Buddhist monk and his master live their austere, simple lives in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring.
- Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989) – Bae Yong-kyun. It’s difficult to think of a film that more completely embodies the spirit of Buddhism in content and style than this unique classic.
- Kundun (1997) – Martin Scorsese. Martin Scorsese’s epic film is a straightforward but inspired telling of the life of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.
- The Burmese Harp (1956) – Kon Ichikawa. Mizushima, the protagonist of this Japanese film, is no coward; he has proven his bravery in battle, but circumstances have forced him apart from his unit.
- Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. This beautiful South Korean film looks at the cyclical nature of life (a very Buddhist concept) against the backdrop of a Buddhist monastery on a tiny island.
- Bulletproof Monk. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's Bulletproof Monk. This may actually fall into the 'So Bad It's Good' category, rather than being legitimately a great movie, but anyone who wants to see a Buddhist Monk in a kick-ass action comedy alongside a wise-cracking American pickpocket to protect a mystical scroll...
- Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame. Despite the title, this film doesn't totally focus on Buddhism but includes some wonderfully Buddhist ideas about the search for wisdom and the importance of education for all.
- Samsara. This award-winning film festival offering explores the complications of spirituality and sexuality, as a young monk attempts to gain enlightenment.
Sep 19, 2023 · Some movies really capture the essence of Buddhism, as both a religion and a philosophy. Here is a list of the best ones.
To cover the East Asian side, I focus primarily on Buddhist culture as displayed through fiction, poetry, and film. These sources—Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji and the haiku of Bashō, for example—are nondiscursive by nature and cannot be read as a primer on Buddhist beliefs.
