![COMPASSION IN EXILE: The Story of the 14th Dali Lama [VHS]]({"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RXJ8JXTHL.jpg":[475,264],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RXJ8JXTHL._SY445_.jpg":[445,247]})
This is a very good one hour film on the life of the Dali Lama and the plight of the Tibetan people since the Chinese take over of Tibet. It does a wonderful job of providing an overview of the Dali Lama and the situation in Tibet.
Compassion in Exile has excellent photography, a good mixture of historical material and personal vignettes. It was particularly successful at capturing the personality of the Dali Lama and the energy of his presence which is often characterized by people as extremely authentic, compassionate and even playful. Certainly, the quality of his presence is a testimony to his development and an affirmation of his historical and spiritual significance. There is also an excellent book called The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, which is a down to earth portait of the Dali Lama as viewed by a modern day psychiatrist. This book is also full of stories and quotes of the Dali Lama and is a very accessible introduction.
This movie is also excellent for its inspirational value. Surely, the Dali Lama embodies the qualities of forgivenss, compassion and peace. It is very clear from this movie he is in a different category than an ordinary human being and represents the highest attainment of his culture which is rapidly and systematically being destroyed.
One argument for the preservation of Tibetan culture and historical artifacts is that because of their isolation, many rare manuscripts and other important knowledge were preserved for more than a thousand years. A lot of this knowledge is oral and if the culture is dissemated some of this will be lost. It can also be effectively argued that Tibetan masters have done the deepest type of introspective work ever undertaken by any culture. What they have learned is something valuable to the people of this planet as a whole.
While it is a tragedy what happened in Tibet, the presence and visibility of the Dali Lama and the awareness of Tibetan culture on a large scale is a blessing for the rest of the world. The Dali Lama himself often refers to the Chinese communists as "his friends, the enemy." This sort of equanimity is a wonderful example of the type of understanding and compassion that we all need to reach a worldcentric point of view that will result in peace. This is of course is dependent upon individual development beyond mere cognition i.e. honoring other intelligences such as emotional, social, etc.
This would make a GREAT classroom video. If you are interested in knowing more about Tibetan Buddhism, you may also want to check out the listmania lists on my profile. There are various listed relating to a variety of religius traditions. However, one book that I feel is the must have for anyone interested in world religions is The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. This gives a good overview of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. Another one by the same author that talks about the common core of the world's wisdom traditions and its relation to a scientific and primarily materialistic worldview is Forgotten Truth.
There are also a number of other DVDs available on Amazon about the Dali Lama. However, this film by Mickey Lemle with music by Philip Glass is certainly a great first exposure to this fascinating man and his culture. The Dali Lama is truly a spiritual giant in every sense of the word and his Holiness the Dali Lama is certainly a title that he lives up to in every respect.
- Actors: Mickey Lemle
- Directors: Mickey Lemle, The 14th Dali Lama
- Format: Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
- Number of tapes: 1
- VHS Release Date: January 1, 1992
- Run Time: 60 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 11 customer reviews
- ASIN: B000055WDY
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,500 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?
