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QIXIA TEMPLE 1937
 On
December 13, 1937, the Japanese army entered the Chinese capital of
Nanking. Thousands of terrified civilians were looking for a place to
hide, and some went to the 1,500-year old Qixia Temple which means
“Monastery where the red clouds roost.” As they arrived, the monks
were alarmed. They did not have the food, medicine or space to house
refugees and their arrival would certainly bring in their wake the
Japanese military. They adviced closing the gates.
But the abbot Ji Ran disagreed. “No,” he said, “it is our Buddhist
duty to let everyone in. More than seeking to free himself from
earthly desire, a monk has a responsibility to save those who are
suffering”.
So began the story of abbot Ji Ran’s extraordinary contribution in
protecting his countrymen during the war. The film, released in 2007,
is the brainchild of Chuan Zhen . “I wanted to show how the monks took
part in the war against Japan, and displayed a fearless spirit. I
wanted a film everyone would see,” he said.
Exhausted by his ordeal, Ji Ran died that year, aged only 40. In 1940,
his grateful countrymen erected a monument to him.
ANGULIMALA
 The
Buddhist scriptures spoke about a murderer named Angulimala who became
a disciple of the Buddha. Over the centuries, colorful legends were
made about him. In this 2003 Thai production, starring Noppachai
Chaiyanam, Stella Malucchi, and John Rattanaveroj, we have a vivid and
interesting movie called simply Angulimala.
When Angulimala was 16, his father sent him to complete his education.
Having excelled in his studies, the other students became jealous and
told the teacher that Angulimala was flirting with his wife. Deciding
to punish his former star pupil, the teacher told Angulimala: “You
have almost completed your training; there is just one thing left to
do. To become a Bodhisattva, you must kill 1,000 people.” Angulimala
changed: once mentally bright and handsome, he turned grim and ugly,
hunched over, and plodding. He no longer laughed or spoke and he
haunted the forests like a wild animal. He endeavored to complete his
task, until an enlightening encounter with the Buddha halted his
bloody quest.
10 QUESTIONS FOR THE DALAI LAMA
 How
do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with
violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a
society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These
are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by
filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental
questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own
journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an
extraordinary spiritual leader.
This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private
visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India, over the course of
several months. Also included is rare historical footage filmed with
hidden cameras within Tibet. Part biography, part philosophy, part
adventure and part politics, this film conveys more than history and
more than answers - it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring
man.
PEACE IS EVERY STEP
 Leading
Vietnamese Zen teacher and prolific author, Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh
has had a profound impact on contemporary thinking and, importantly,
social action. His efforts to achieve an early peaceful end to the
American war in Vietnam earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace
Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a forty-year exile from his
homeland.
Peace Is Every Step is an intimate and direct portrait of a monk who
has lived through war and fought back with meditation, love and grace
under fire, testimony to the faith that simple practices and insights
drawn from (but not by any means limited to) the Buddhist meditative
tradition can help change conditions for the better: on a personal
level, in the family, in the community, in a nation and in the world.
This DVD version is narrated by Ben Kingsley, and produced and
directed by Gaetano Kazuo Maida in 2005.
BUDDHA’S LOST CHILDREN
 Against
a backdrop of extraordinarily beautiful and vivid images, this
stunning Mark Verkerk film tells the story of a Buddhist monk, who was
a former Thai boxing champion, and the work he does with poor children
in the desolate and dangerous Golden Triangle region of Thailand. The
monk and a devoted nun take these young children under their wings and
teach them everything from how to wash themselves and brush their
teeth, to how to ride and take care of a horse.
Buddha’s Lost Children has won many awards: Top documentary prize at
the AFI Festival in Los Angeles (2006), City of Rome Prize (2006),
Silver Dove (2006) at DOK Leipzig, Crystal Film prize at The
Netherlands Film Festival (2007), Newport Beach Film Festival (2007),
Best Global Insight Film at the Jackson Hole Film Festival (2007) and
the David L. Wolper Best Documentary Award at the Wine Country Film
Festival (2007).
MILAREPA
 Bhutanese
director Neten Chopling Rinpoche’s Milarepa is the story of Tibet’s
most famous saint. It unfolds in the 11th century, when Milarepa (Jamyang
Lodro) unexpectedly loses his father, and finds his life plunged into
a bleak hell. His vile aunt and uncle, Peydon and Gyalsten (played by
Tsamchoe and Gonpo, respectively) seize control of the deceased’s
inheritance and force Thopaga, his mother Kargyen (Kelsang Chukie
Tethtong), and his sister Peta (Tashi Lhamo) into a period of
seemingly limitless domestic slavery.
When Thopaga turns 16, Kargyen seizes the opportunity to throw an
engagement party for him, hoping that she can use the circumstances to
reclaim property and title. The townspeople fail to come to her aid,
however, causing Kargyen to spur Thopaga onward toward an
apprenticeship in the dark arts and an onslaught of ugly, black
magic-fueled revenge. In the end, her plan backfires - thus
demonstrating the nasty consequences for anyone who seeks unbridled
vengeance against evildoers.
LION’S ROAR
 This
is a masterful portrait of the late 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the
Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His line of successive
reincarnations has its origins in the 13th century when it was the
first to identify tulkus, reincarnations of Buddhist teachers. He was
born in Tibet in 1924, and left Tibet in 1959 to settled in Rumtek,
Sikkim. He undertook two world Dharma tours in 1974 and 1977. While
traveling in 1981, he died in Illinois, Chicago.
The film journeys with him in North America where he visited the Hopi
Nation, offered teachings and performed the Black Crown Ceremony (Vajra
Makut), and initiated the construction of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
in Woodstock, New York, the seat of his lineage in North America. His
cremation in Rumtek is also vividly documented.
The narration script was written by the late Rick Fields, the
well-known author of How the Swans Came to the Lake.
AMONGST WHITE CLOUDS
 This
is an unforgettable journey into the hidden tradition of China’s Zen
Buddhist hermit monks, especially those living in scattered retreats
dotting the Zhongnan Mountain range. These peaks have been home to
recluses since the time of the Yellow Emperor, some 5,000 years ago.
Many of China’s most realized Buddhist masters attained enlightenment
in this very range! It was widely thought that the tradition was all
but wiped out, but this film emphatically and beautifully shows us
otherwise. One of only a few foreigners to have lived and studied with
these elusive practitioners, American director Edward Burger is able,
with humor and compassion, to present their tradition, wisdom, and the
hardship and joy of their everyday lives among the clouds.
This 2007 film was inspired by Bill Porter’s book (better known as Red
Pine), Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. It was awarded
Official Selection at various film festivals in the US and Israel.
REFUGE IN THE THREE JEWELS (Discovering Buddhism Series)
 The
Discovering Buddhism Series was created for anyone wish-ing to
understand the vast and profound subjects of the stages of the path to
enlightenment as presented in Tibetan Buddhism. Every subject is
introduced by Richard Gere or Keanu Reeves.
The series features His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ribur Rinpoche, Lama
Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, and other
Tibetan lamas. Western teachers in the series include Ven. Robina
Courtin, Ven. Sangye Khadro, Ven. Thubten Chodron, Dr Jan Willis, and
others. On these 13 DVDs, each subject is introduced by both a Tibetan
and a Western teacher; these explanations are then followed by an
informal conversation with a Western student who talks about how the
practice and contemplation of that subject has affected their lives.
Refuge in the Three Jewels, which is about taking refuge in the
Buddha, His Teachings, and Holy Disciples, is one of the 13 topics in
the series.
FEARLESS MOUNTAIN
 Fearless
Mountain is an inspiring documentary that explores the world of the
forest-dwelling monks of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in the
beautiful surroundings of Redwood Valley, California. At Abhayagiri,
or “Fearless Mountain” in Pali, the monks follow the renowned Thai
forest monastery tradition of Ajahn Chah.
One can experience the peace the monks radiate, their easy good humor
towards one another, and how they live. Watching this documentary
makes us want to discover the sweetness of a simple and spiritual life
- the secret of living that these forest monks seem to have mastered.
The film also depicts how these monks relate to the community where
they are located. Some of the well-known monks featured in this film
include Ajahn Sumedho, the senior most disciple of Ajahn Chah, and
Ajahn Amaro, co-abbot of Abhayagiri.
This documentary ws made in 2007 by Tony Anthony, filmed and edited by
his son Andrew Anthony, with music score by Will Siegel.
OSEAM (ANIMATION)
 South
Korean filmmaker Sung Baek-yeop’s Oseam is the story of a five-year
old child discovering his own Nirvana. This feature-length animated
film is based on a famous fairy tale by Jeong Chae-bong about a blind
orphan girl and her young brother who are adopted into a Buddhist
monastery. Gil-son and his blind sister Gami meet a Buddhist monk,
Seouljung. They go to Baek-dam Temple on snowy Mount Seorak. They stay
with him for the winter while trying to find their mother. Even though
the old monk took pity on Gil-son and Gami and decides to take care of
them in the temple, Gil-son constantly gets into trouble
Drawn with a painterly watercolor style, the simple story follows the
daily lives of Gil-son and Gami and the kindness and compassion of the
Buddhist monks. But eventually, Gil-son undergone a magical
transformation to discover himself. The soundtrack includes songs by
Korean rock singer Yoon Do-Hyun.
Runtime: 75 min
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
THROUGH THE EYES OF A LITTLE MONK |
小沙弥欢喜看人间
(ANIMATION)
 A
collection of 20 short stories on universal values of honesty,
integrity, discipline, etc. that both young and old can learn and put
into practice. Depicted by the Little Monk, this DVD collection will
be most welcomed by Sunday School students as well as teachers of
Sunday School.
Language: Chinese, with English sub-titles.
Duration: 90 mins
Publisher: Beutiful Life Television Co. Ltd
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