Product Details

• Actors: Richard Gere; Keanu Reeves; Dalai Lama; Lama Thubten Yeshe; Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche; Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Directors: Christina Lundberg
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 2
• Studio: Dharma Vision
• DVD Release Date: January 1, 2004
• Run Time: 343 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000PFT3OY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,936 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Item Name: Discovering Buddhism; Studio: Dharma Vision

Review

Discovering Buddhism: A Review by Bill Blackmore and Patricia Rogers. We were fortunate to see this excellent thirteen-part series over several nights in a small theatre in our hometown and even more fortune to be able to revisit it on video in our own home. Discovering Buddhism is a unique production, beautifully conceived, designed and photographed to give a brief, yet profound, introduction to the vast subject of Buddhism. The thirteen topics range from Mind and Its Potential, How to Meditate, Wisdom of Emptiness to Introduction to Tantra. These topics include segments on Bodhichitta, Refuge, The Path, and Daily Practice. Each 30-minute video is presented in the form of a complete practice: Introduction, Motivation, Teachers, Students, and Dedication. Opening each video, and between each segment, there are a series of visual montages in which we experience stunning images of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, processions of monks, and many other precious vignettes accompanied by Tibetan music and chanting. There is wisdom, blessing and devotion in each heart and mind- opening experience. From introductions by either Richard Gere or Keanu Reeves, we move to Ven. Connie Miller who leads us in a thoughtful motivation specific to each topic. Then at the heart of the series are teachings by some of the most revered teachers of our time: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ribur Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Ven. Robina Courtin, Ven. Sangye Khandro, Ven. Sarah Thresher, Ven. Thubten Chodron, Jan Willis and many others. Each subject is taught by both a Tibetan and a Western teacher, giving us a range of perspectives. The teachings are clear, specific, and inspiring, with the key points (for example, the Ten Qualities of a Teacher by His Holiness the Dalai Lama) displayed for emphasis at the end. Several Western students discuss the teaching and its application to daily life. --Mandala Magazine

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, May 31, 2007

By	R. Holdeman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Refresher Course, June 16, 2007

By	Kim Hollingshead (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT INTRODUCTION TO THIS COMPLEX SUBJECT, June 11, 2007

By	Marilyn "Marilyn" (BC Canada) - See all my reviews

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.