Customer Reviews

Discovering Buddhism

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set from FPMT was well worth the modest investment. I found these teachings most helpful and inspiring with new treasures discovered with each watching. Comments by Richard Gere and Keanu Reeves were sincere observations and insights reflecting their own study and meditation and added to the teachings. I am still very much a beginner in Buddhism but, through some years of self-study, had gathered a few disconnected puzzle pieces regarding the Buddha's teachings on things like suffering, attachment, compassion, how my mind works, emptiness, etc. But I was having trouble fitting together what I had learned into a whole and with how to advance from study to practice. I just couldn't see the forest for being lost in the trees. These teachings came at just the right time and helped me start to fit many of those personal puzzle pieces together as well as adding insights on crucial missing ones. The teaching sequence parallels the Lam-Rim graded-path systematic approach attributed to Atisha and Lama Tsong Khapa. The topics covered include straight talk on tough subjects like death & rebirth, karma, samsara & nirvana, emptiness, bodhicitta, and how to transform our problems into a lighted path to our enlightenment. Watching the DVDs also has propelled me to embark on further home-study with Discovering Buddhism at Home, a 14-part study and meditation course from the FPMT Foundation Store. I find these DVD teachings by leading lamas and monastics, including His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to be a most precious collection that I will surely watch again and again. I highly recommend the set as essential to anyone interested in studying Buddhism.

I have owned this 2 disc DVD set for several years. Because I have been traveling a lot, I found it difficult to find qualified Buddhist teachers. This series allows me to always have great teachers to take with me. Whether I was snow bound in Michigan or in a remote area in New Mexico, I could pop one of the DVD's into my laptop and hear a remarkable teaching. I have watched each episode many times and I still learn something new. Also, the quality of the production is very high. This DVD set has been invaluable to me as a constant resource of one of the most profound subjects.

This DVD is a great place to start if you are curious about Tibetan Buddhism. The teachings are clear and easy to understand. The presentation of the topics is very informative. As a result of watching this, I have embarked on the Discovering Buddhism at Home series of 14 modules on different topics prepared by FPMT. This distance program allows those who do not have access to a Tibetan Buddhist center, study this topic using audio teachings, readings and excellent email support by qualified teachers.

I first watched these DVD's during my exploration of Tibetan Buddhism a few years ago and immediately became hooked by the wonderful presentaion and summary of the key points of Tibetan Buddhism practice.

I found the DVD's extremely useful in outlining the entire scope of the Buddhist path from the first chapter on the Mind right through to the Introduction to Tantra. I personally really enjoyed seeing Lama Yeshe explain Tantra in that chapter making it sound so wonderful and relevant to helping overcome all our problems and it inspired me to do further study and to read more on all these topics to try and gain a deeper understanding.

Even now I still find it a joy to return to the DVD's to rewatch them again with some new insights obtained each time.

After seeing a very good introductory documentary called Buddha on PBS, I become very interested in this religion and wanted to learn more. I was seeking a series that would go beyond the life of Buddha and teach me more about it. I thought I had found it in this "instructional" series, but sadly, it fell far short of my expectations.

This series was obviously originally created as 13 separate episodes which were shown probably weeks apart from each other. So, each show has the same introduction, and each speaker has an introduction to them before they speak. That's fine when the shows are spread out over weeks, but whoever put this DVD together did not bother to do any editing and I wonder how many minutes of the DVD are actually dedicated to teachings. It got very annoying to see the same intro sequences for the shows and speakers over and over again.

It was also very hard to understand what was being said by many of the teachers who come from all over the world. I could not find a way to use subtitles and maybe that functionality is there but I could not find it.

In terms of the actual content of this series, there were some good teachings here and there, so all was not lost, but not worth the money paid for it. The teachers in this series were not teaching us, but students in attendance who already knew enough. So some of the concepts were glossed over and not reinforced. Speaking of the "students in attendance", the filming technique that occasionally switches between the teacher and student is downright ridiculous. It's the same technique used during a sporting event. I want to see the event itself, not the spectator watching it.

I DID learn something important after watching this and it concurs with what Keanu Reeves stated in one of the episodes: You cannot learn this religion by watching a show or reading a book. You need a personal teacher.

I really wanted to like the series when I purchased it just like anyone else, but I have to be honest and base my review on what I actually got out of it.

This is a wonderful way to learn more about the concepts of Buddhism. It is not trying to "convert" anyone, nor a "how to" course. It is a simple explanation of a gentle way of life. A professional film.

After reading all the great reviews on this DVD, i decided to get one for myself in Jan 08. Wow, these DVDs are really amazing. I have watched it for more than 4 times and it is really a pleasure to watch these DVDs again and again. The teachings are fabulous, especially topics like "Mind and its potentials", "Presenting the Path", "How to Meditate", "All about Karma", "Wisdom of Emptiness", etc.

You don't require any knowledge on Buddhism to appreciate these DVDs, cos every teachings is explained in the simplest form and logical way. The topic "Mind" is simply impressive and it really "open" your mind to understand its potential. I can't really speak high enough on these DVDs, it is really a "Must Have".

Look no futher, I STRONGLY recommend these DVDs to anyone who seek for Buddhism teaching, cultivate inner peace, understanding of life and its meaning, etc.

Joe (Singapore)

The celebrity vignettes of introductory Buddhist teachings will please most beginners. These teachings are basic so they will be more entertaining than informative for the advanced practitioner.

How does one talk about the myriad of thought this DVD provides?

I at first was interested in how the Hollywood people presented themselves and what the knowledge was they were to impart.
Soon, as I realized the scope of the teachings was so encompassing nothing but that mattered.
Soon, as each chapter was complete, nothing mattered other than what was the next thought to absorb.
Coming from the Soto Zen discipline, that mattered not, as each chapter of thought was presented.

I'm attempting to impart the point that 'all that other stuff' matters not, once one is absorbed by the teachings.

This is an astounding assemblage of one view of Buddhism, as It encompances and explains both sides (now).

Don't let my flawed view of reality distract you. This DVD is well worth the price.

If you want to learn what Buddhism encompasses, don't hesitate.

Excellent source of information, very detailed, wonderful clips from various teachers. Great for those looking into Buddhism for the first time, for those wanting to learn more...or to just debunk the myths that most people have about Buddhism. Great for those who don't have teachers they can access nearby. Am looking forward to continuing my studies with their (FPMT) separate module trainings that they offer on dvd.
Peace