 Questions to ask yourself before you die.
I waited for some time to pass before reviewing this film, so my words would carry with them the full impact of my personal experience. I saw the film in the theatre and well as on DVD - both experiences created impact. In this review I am not going to plea with you to watch or buy these films, I am going to gently support you to exert your free will to focus in on your own life. In the course of making your Self the star of your own life story, as well as the director, audience and reviewer - I hope you also become the center of your own universe. I don't mean in a new-age-kinda-way, but in a simple every-day-kinda-way like eating, sleeping, taking bathroom breaks and breathing. I hope time with your Self becomes so essentially a part of your day, that soon without any effort giving to your Self becomes the norm, the standard from which you rule and govern your Self. Okay, so now we get to the reason why I chose to watch this film, more than once. I knew if The Dalai Lama was in the film, then there would be giggling - laughing is on my Daily-Must-List. I knew there would be no lectures from The Dalai, he tends to get bored with the sound of his own voice, and so starts to giggle. True behavior of a role model is not taking one's Self seriously, and telling you to model your own life behavior around being aware of what roles you are inauthentically playing ... in other words role modeling is not something encouraged, but catching & ending the role playing is. This film is a brilliant illustration of that life-giving, and life revitalizing technique - CPR for the heart that stopped from daily living life inauthentically.
I think what Khashyar Darvich, the director of the film, achieves in the making of Dalai Lama Renaissance is capturing on film a whole room of egos teamed up to learn about the "acting out", and illusionary " role playing", needed to work out the world's problems by being outside-of-our-Selves to accomplish any task. The Director accomplishes the task of silently moving the camera around the room picturing The Dalai going quietly inward to create ... in silence, no role playing, no acting ... no matter how many 'Great Minds' are sharing the same exterior room ... The Dalai moves inward to be alone within his interior, then with an insight, he moves quietly outward to participate with those 'Great MInds' by offering directional questions to guide them within. He was mindful enough to not offer them answers, he seemed aware that his greatest impact on the 'Great Minds' was to provide an alternative to them by his example... the alternative was how not to use a great mind to solve the world's problems. The difference between mind and ego was captured on film.
I watched The Dalai guide the 'Great Minds' to drop their mind, while giggling to the camera so the director could capture on film the giddy realization that we are all equal, equally intelligent within our own personal universe ... leader of our personal space, leader of own personal self-realization and enlightened by the power of our daily choices. I think that Khashyar and his film making team created a space in the room for us the audience members to be silently present at the "how to create a better world retreat" ... and that is the treat ... that as audience members we get to be silently sitting in the room with The Dalai ... witnessing and observing what is going on in the still room inside us, within ... as we watch the room outside us full of the chaos of the 'Great Minds' in their minds trying to solve problems.
We become the World's Greatest Minds by experiencing what The Dalai experiences everyday by understanding the power of his choices ... 'how to be silent inward observers of the outside-us-illusion-of-intelligence', and that the biggest illusion is that 'other people's intelligence rules or governs us'. We are invited and treated to participate in this workshop, as the silent majority, and so we are reminded of our essential importance as the quiet many.. and very effect power of our being the quiet 'One'.
I think the film and it's creators capture the importance of being 'the one who is present', 'the one who is silent', 'the one who is peace-full', and 'the one not attached to their mind'. I felt, after witnessing these events outside me, 'the film', and then witnessing the events within me, 'my growth' - i felt that what changes the world each day is the NOT the 'effort' of trying' to make a contribution, 'trying to be seen', 'trying to be heard', 'neediness', 'compulsion' and 'competition' to be members-of-the-elite-mental-class, BUT I felt more deeply convinced that my world alters when I am, I am simply being my Self, my-class-of-One ... governing my own humanity, my own personal ethics ... the standard bearer writer, director, and star-creator of my own personal life story.
The world is altered by huge egos with vast intelligence, and lucky for us all, the world is also altered by any and all things that co-create any and all things. By design all of the intelligence of the entire universe is within each one of us in equal amounts. Now, how we as the artists of our own story, interact with our own unique intelligence, is our own personal focus and choice. I chose to watch this movie in silence, and observe my Self grow. What shows on screen in this film is that the filmmakers grew, The Dalai grew, and that in making the film the focus and choice of the filmmakers grew ... and continues to grow by creating space for us the silent majority to witness and grow. How nice is it that a film is made with the intention that the audience grow, and so we grow in spite of our Selves from the experience of watching this filmed event. That level of caring and commitment to deliver to the audience a gift, deserves an award ... but these filmmakers do not have huge egos even though they carry the intelligence of the entire universe within ... Lucky for us receivers of their gifts, their wisdom and care-giving shows, and, lucky for us there are filmmakers who actually care about how their work impacts the world, betters the world and benefits the people sharing the same planet with them. Peace, Love and Happiness is a winning combination of elements from which to craft a story. Let it be your story too. I hope when you watch this story that you will also see your Self grow. Be well and may peace be within you - and NOT governed by those around you.
It's a must to see film
There are no fancy special effects in this film, but it grabs and holds your attention. That's the power of the true art.
Great documentary
This is a great documentary film to watch for anybody out there. It's very inspiring, moving, mind-opening and enlightening.
When the film finished, it left me wanting more. Luckily there's already a volume 2 out, and from what I understand a 3rd and 4th as well. I can't wait to watch them.
In the Top 20 of all films I have ever seen.
One of the best films I have seen in my life. I sat spellbound throughout this film, and wept uncontrollably through most of it, while laughing and feeling waves of joy and insight sweep over me, as it peeled away "layers and layers of human onion peel". Not only is the beauty and saturated color of this film overwhelmingly beautiful, the incredible scenes around the legendary Dharamsala, the footage of India, and Harrison Ford's moving readings of a handful of key quotes that punctuate and divide the sections of this film, make it a rich multi-layered experience.
This is an incredible depiction of the disturbing, inevitable and ultimately liberating and very human friction that that flowed out of the group dynamics generated by this gathering of 40 highly learned professors, priests, psychologists, physicists, and others that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama invited, allowed and granted audience to for a week long visit to Dharamsala.
The invited group's idea was to brainstorm and come up with a synthesis of the group's "brilliant ideas" (generated by their sincere but often ego-filled and top-heavy intellectual minds) and present those ideas to His Holiness The Dalai Lama, to see what he would think...
This is not a normal or typical documentary about The Dalai Lama. To those that think that The Dalai Lama is an overrated, or over-venerated projection of people's desires to have a "super-human" deity to "worship": this film will surprise them. Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in his own completely natural way, explodes and deflates the group's (and the audience's) expectations of His divinity and brilliance--while simultaneously reinforcing it. He exceeds their expectations, and explodes their paradigms, without even trying. His Holiness humbles them all, unintentionally, and in his basic straightforward simplicity, yet with profound and simple depth, exceeds the group's (and the viewers "expectations". The result has to be seen, no words can adequately describe it. It is truly remarkable and this film will stand as a lasting record of the 14th Dalai Lama, long after he is reincarnated again.
As I said, I wept with joy, and had to suppress it throughout this film (because my weeping and suppressed sobs surprised me so much).
They were tears of joy, and of relief: to see stark reinforcement of the reverence I hold his His Holiness in.
And they were also the tears you shed when you are laughing so much that tears stream down your face! The cosmic humor of it just overwhelmed me: like a glass of water that has water poured into it continually past overflowing! The color was beautifully saturated and the
Dalai Lama is not the only person that communicates some profound wisdom in this film. This is not a typical "journalistic documentary" nor a product of slavish Buddhist hero-worship. I highly recommend this motion picture to everyone.
The BEST documentary film on the Dalai Lama
I have watched many films and DVDs on the Dalai Lama, and this is simply the BEST, most transformational film with the Dalai Lama that I have ever seen, for these reasons:
1) You receive an intimate personal experience with the Dalai Lama, his words, his spirit and his wisdom. You experience the Dalai Lama up-close and personal, and his lessons and words of wisdom in this film are profound and uplift your mind and heart.
2) Not only does this film present inspiring moments with the Dalai Lama, but it also has a powerful cinematic documentary film with story and developing characters: It is a cinematic film that also presents a story of the transformation of Western revolutionary thinkers in the presence of the Dalai Lama. The cinematography is stunning and beautiful. While you watch the film, you feel as if you are going on this same journey of personal discovery with the characters.
3) You not only get to see the Dalai Lama in person, and hear his profound words of wisdom, you get to witness the IMPACT that he has on others. I read one reviewer write that this film presents "His Holiness in action." To best know a person, you need to not only hear his or her words, but you need to observe their actions as they interact with others. This film is so much more dynamic than a recorded speech of the Dalai Lama. You get to experience many facets of this incredible human being.
4) This is a film of many levels, and like any great film, you can experience it on many different levels: A) You can watch it, follow the story through many twists and unexpected turns, and laugh at the many funny moments in the film, especially at the humanness of the Westerners. B) You can listen and take in the profound wisdom of the Dalai Lama. C) You can witness the inner journey and transformation of the Westerners in the film, who go through their own transformation from ego-centereness to open-heartedness. D) Or more powerfully, you can open your mind and heart while you are watching the film, and let the film wash over you and go on a personal inner journey yourself. I have heard many times from a variety of people that this film acts like a mirror or reflection for those who watch it, and if you have the wisdom, openness and self-awareness to go on the journey in this film with these Western renaissance thinkers, then this film will impact you and reveal how your heart can be opened more, and you will be transformed and positively impacted, as I was.
5) This is not just a film, but it is an experience and adventure. Not only is the film funny, profound and beautiful, but it is a personal experience whereby the light of awareness is shined inside of you. This is not a film to watch while you are washing the dishes and speaking on the phone. This film will engage you, and will shine a light on the areas within yourself that you need to transform.
By the way, after I watched this film, I saw the second volume of this series, 'Dalai Lama Renaissance Vol. 2: A Revolution of Ideas,' which equally powerful.
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