Samsara

I loved everything about this movie, the story, the acting, the scenery and the love scenes. The raw passion that Tashi's character exudes throughout the movie and the tenderness that is Pema's character moved me.

The ending was one of the best I've seen in any movie. The poignant and piercing questions that Pema asks reminded me of a monologue from a Indian art-house film from the eighties called "Nikaah". The monologue (at the start of the movie) so eloquently spells out the plight of women throughout history.

The scene where the Sujatha lures Tashi, stands out in my mind as being very very sexy.

In Buddhism there is something called 'expedient means'. You won't speak to a fisherman about emptiness in the same way as to a mathematician, the terms and metaphors change according to circumstances. This speaks of the general practicality and suppleness within Buddhism, there is no attachment to scripture, the point is to help ourselves across using whatever is at hand.

Here we have a Buddhist parable on faith, a young man who's spent all his life in a monastery is nagged inside that he has been trying to cleanse himself before any dust had time to settle. In the opening scenes we see a procession of monks open up a cave where he has been meditating for three years, his hair and nails have grown, dust has settled on the frail, ascetic body. As they clean him up on the way to the monastery we see a young man's face. This is all counterpointed with the Buddha's lifestory, a prince who didn't set out on the journey until late in his 20s.

'Expedient means' in this case means narrative depth is sacrificed so we can get with more clarity the moment of suffering.

The consequence from a cinematic standpoint is that it's evocative enough; windswept Himalayan landscapes, textures, passage of time. But the journey is schematic, from purity in the monastery to defilement in the village, from contentment to the onset of desire. A fabled reality means that what's missing here is a fuller trajectory of a person being changed, we simply jump ahead to the crucial points of the parable.

Something else from the Buddhist point of view though.

Buddhism has developed a robust model about life and practical tools that actually work. Its mission is not really to converse with scientists about the beginning of the cosmos or become bogged down in epistemology about its findings. Its mission from the beginning has been to put an end to suffering; along the way a body of knowledge emerges because in Buddhism ending suffering is not an abstract ideal left to a god's grace, it is a daily practice of observing mind and self, all sorts of insights appear.

There's no question that the problem of conveying an insight is mirrored across Buddhism and film. You say too much and you risk obviating the matter, too little and maybe it's not enough. Here as a deep inspection and mindful exercise the film falls short, the fabled reality puts us at a distance. But the narrative moments when desire and dissatisfaction manifest should be familiar to all and carry a simple power that is the essential Buddhist matter, seeing suffering right now.

Beginner's Buddhism is some of the most powerful of all.

Normally I would be with hundreds celebrating the arrival of the new year. Last night I decided to be alone with SAMSARA. When the film ended at 1h40am, I was in year 2006 -transformed. A masterpiece about choices that we all have to make sooner or later. I've spent hours surfing net on SAMSARA, reading reactions of people from Brazil to Bombay to Bucharest to Bangladesh. How wonderful so many people are united by SAMSARA. The film opens up your heart and soul. I am normally too much an intellectual when it comes to liking a film. But this one just took me like a storm -mesmerizing cinematography, soothing sound track (one of the best sound design ever!), soul-stirring landscapes and above all masterly written and directed by Pan Nalin -whoever he maybe. It is one of the most powerful first feature I have ever seen. I now eagerly await Nalin's next feature VALLEY OF FLOWERS. Meanwhile for anyone who has not yet seen this movie I say to them just go for it with open mind, leave your issues behind and just dive into SAMSARA...

This is an exquisitely sensitive look at part of the life of a young lama(monk), and the choices he makes. A joy for anyone interested in Himalayan culture and religion. The photography of the extraordinary setting is moving, the soundtrack haunting, and the lead actors deeply touching in their portrayals. It took me a while to slow down and appreciate the rhythm of the film, as it is almost a meditation.

Very rarely one can find such a well balanced movie with a full commitment from the whole staff: Director (Nalin Pan), all the Actors & the total Crew. Shooting a film like this is not an easy task. The beauty of the locations is just breathless (at several thousands miles of altitude!)... And if the hall has a good air conditioning system, for sure you will really feel the freezing winds that blows at the Himalayas by watching this outstanding film. It is not only the performance of the actors (animals included!... a smart dog called Kala -"Time" in Sanskrit- by instance or some impressive eagle!) but the quality of the script. There are some passages of the film that just tastes like a short documentary. And immediately it is softly engaged with the story. No matter how high could be your achievement, if it is not on balance with the Life Flow, you will face the even... unavoidably? Perhaps... Tashi (Shawn Ku)is a consecrated Lama that has been in the yoghi experience of Samadhi Meditation (Fullest Consciousness) during three years, three months, three weeks, three days... A little bit to much for his Master's criteria but the Disciple wanted to test himself till the very limits of his own potential. Recognized as a Khenpo (a title of tibetan scholastic mastery), some further and higher Initiation will be bestowed on him by the Highest Rimpocheh nearby. However, there is some other experience he has never faced till then: the awakening of his own sexuality and the relationship with the key of human gender, the woman! Therefore this new step will be postponed and replaced by his own decision's sake. As a layman, the Lama he used to be is almost gone. As a husband, he shows the main aspect of any other man of his condition. As a father, he forgets to be the one closest to his own child and... once more: he ran away. Finally, Tashi has to face the reality of Maya & Samsara, the value of the Teachings inside the Dharma from his Master and the higher spiritual level of his wife, the beautiful & convincing Pema (Christy Chung). After listening to her, there are very few subsisting doubts concerning the equal rights for both women & men to obtain the Buddhahood. This is the kind of movie one can see and watch time after time, just to check oneself's evolving... And to enjoy a very nice soundtrack with the exotic melodies of the dialogues in Tibetan Languages. Please, don't loose it!!