Documentary
This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The Last Lost Kingdom
How to Cook Your Life
Art as a Weapon
Refuge
Jesus & Buddha: Practicing Across Traditions
Words of My Perfect Teacher
Nanavira Hamuduru
My Year of Living Mindfully
Crossing the Bardo
Wheel of Time
The Shift
A Journey
Unmistaken Child
God and Buddha: A Dialogue
Crows Are White
14 Apples
The Life of Buddha
Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Wisdom of Happiness
SIMILAR MOVIES
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
IMDB 7 | Jan , 2010
Brilliant Moon chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Spiritual guide to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Richard Gere and Lou Reed provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China, the subsequent spread of his influence and the search for his reincarnation after his death.The Last Lost Kingdom
IMDB 0 | Jun , 2014
Following in the footsteps of his father, Folco Felzani embarks on an epic journey on foot in search of Mustang, the last lost kingdom, in northern Nepal. The story of a king without a kingdom. The adventure of a son without a father.How to Cook Your Life
IMDB 5.6 | May , 2007
A Zen priest in San Francisco and cookbook author use Zen Buddhism and cooking to relate to everyday life.Art as a Weapon
IMDB 6 | Jun , 2014
Street art, creativity and revolution collide in this beautifully shot film about art’s ability to create change. The story opens on the politically charged Thailand/Burma border at the first school teaching street art as a form of non-violent struggle. The film follows two young girls (Romi & Yi-Yi) who have escaped 50 years of civil war in Burma to pursue an arts education in Thailand. Under the threat of imprisonment and torture, the girls use spray paint and stencils to create images in public spaces to let people know the truth behind Burma's transition toward "artificial democracy." Eighty-two hundred miles away, artist Shepard Fairey is painting a 30’ mural of a Burmese monk for the same reasons and in support of the students' struggle in Burma. As these stories are inter-cut, the film connects these seemingly unrelated characters around the concept of using art as a weapon for change.Refuge
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1972
A documentary about the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in London.Jesus & Buddha: Practicing Across Traditions
IMDB 0 | Aug , 2014
Three leading figures in today's Buddhist-Christian dialogue share their personal journeys in the new documentary Jesus and Buddha: Practicing Across Traditions. We learn how following the path of the Buddha has informed and deepened their understanding of who Jesus was and what he taught. Their experience and insight bring these two liberating archetypes alive in a way that can help guide us through our own confusion and struggle toward lives filled with joy and gratitude, compassion and service.Words of My Perfect Teacher
IMDB 10 | Jan , 2003
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.Nanavira Hamuduru
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2011
British Buddhist monk, Ven. Ñanavira Thera ordained in Ceylon shortly after WWII and lived as a hermit on the outskirts of a remote village, Bundala, until his suicide in 1965. His complex and innovative writings remain largely unknown - in part because of his suicide, but also due to the challenging and unorthodox nature of his work. The film explores Ven. Ñanavira's biography, writings, and the questions around monastic suicide.My Year of Living Mindfully
IMDB 7.5 | May , 2020
Shannon Harvey was working in her dream job as a radio news journalist when, at the age of 24 she was diagnosed with a devastating auto-immune disease. Determined to find a solution, she began researching cutting-edge mind-body medicine. Is it really possible, she wonders, that a simple practice that can be done anywhere, any time, by anyone, can ease suffering and promote physical and mental healing? Synthesizing the work of leading scientists with the ways of mystics, she undertakes a year-long experiment, with herself as the subject. Will meditation revolutionize her health and well-being, or is it just another over-hyped self-help fad? This compelling account of her journey provides fascinating insights about how to be well and happy in the modern world.Crossing the Bardo
IMDB 7.5 | Nov , 2014
An engaging reflection on the meaning of existence and on the theme of death in the different spiritual traditions of the East and West.Wheel of Time
IMDB 6.4 | Oct , 2003
Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.The Shift
IMDB 6.7 | Jan , 2009
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.A Journey
IMDB 8 | May , 2017
A cinematic journey through the world. Non-verbal.Unmistaken Child
IMDB 6.3 | Jun , 2009
In Nepal, a venerable monk, Geshe Lama Konchog, dies and one of his disciples, a youthful monk named Tenzin Zopa, searches for his master's reincarnation. The film follows his search to the Tsum Valley where he finds a young boy of the right age who uncannily responds to Konchog's possessions. Is this the reincarnation of the master? After the boy passes several tests, Tenzin takes him to meet the Dali Lama. Will the parents agree to let the boy go to the monastery, and, if so, how will the child respond? Central to the film is the relationship the child develops with Tenzin.God and Buddha: A Dialogue
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1999
In this fascinating and unusual conversation, writer and physician Deepak Chopra talks to religion professor Robert Thurman about the connections and differences between two of India's most important philosophical beliefs: Vedanta and Buddhism. Chopra explores the foundation of Vedanta, while Thurman -- the father of actress Uma Thurman -- provides the Buddhist point of view in this meeting held in 1999 at New York City's Tibet House.Crows Are White
IMDB 0 | Apr , 2026
After decades of living a secret life, a filmmaker travels to a strict Japanese monastery in search of guidance but the only monk willing to help him prefers ice cream and heavy metal over meditation. CROWS ARE WHITE is an exploration of truth, faith and love, from the top of a mountain to the bottom of a sundae.14 Apples
IMDB 5.4 | May , 2018
Wang Shin-hong is suffering from insomnia. A fortune teller advises the Mandalay businessman, whose car and bulging wallet suggest that business is going pretty well, to spend 14 days in a monastery, living life as a monk and eating an apple a day. Such a thing is possible in Burma today. Wang Shin-hong arrives at the rural monastery, has his head shaved and dons a red robe, in which he instantly becomes an authority. During the welcome procession, the village women, their poverty clear from their clothing and the huts in the background, put more than they have in his alms bowl. During his fleeting role as their advisor, Wang Shin-hong soon learns of the villagers’ attempts to survive and make a living as legal or illegal migrants in China, Thailand or Malaysia. He also finds out how the other monks try to generate profit and additional income.The Life of Buddha
IMDB 5.9 | Dec , 2007
Over 2,500 years ago, one man showed the world a way to enlightenment. This beautifully produced Buddhist film by the BBC meticulously reveals the fascinating story of Prince Siddhartha and the spiritual transformation that turned him into the Buddha.Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
IMDB 5.5 | Nov , 2011
CRAZY WISDOM explores the arrival of Tibetan Buddhism in America through the story of Chögyam Trungpa, who landed in the U.S. in 1970. Trungpa became renowned for translating ancient Buddhist concepts into language and ideas that Westerners could understand and shattered preconceived notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave. Initially rejected, his teachings are now recognized by western philosophers and spiritual leaders as authentic and profound.Wisdom of Happiness
IMDB 7.4 | Nov , 2024
A deeply intimate and highly cinematic documentary featuring the Dalai Lama, who, at nearly ninety year of age, offers practical advice for navigating the 21st century's challenges.