Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Unmistaken Child
zombiegirl
beating the drum of the lifelessin a dry wasteland Veteran
has anyone seen this movie? what did you think?
from netflix:
"Filmmaker Nati Baratz follows the spellbinding journey of Tibetan Buddhist monk Tenzin Zopa as he travels far and wide to identify the child who is the reincarnation of his deceased master, Lama Konchog. Acting on instructions from the Dalai Lama, the shy Zopa relies on astrology, dreams and other signs to locate the child, knowing that if he succeeds, he must also convince the boy's parents to release their child into his care."
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Unmistaken-Child/70109096?strackid=20ba15cb907e186_0_srl&strkid=642131526_0_0&trkid=222336
i have to say, i was much more skeptical before i had seen it, but afterwards... i was sort of just shocked. the child they find is truly remarkable and erased a lot of doubts for me. but it really just made more questions in my mind than answers lol. namely... confusion that someone could die, be reborn, and then recall so much about their previous life.
fyi, anyone with netflix can watch this movie instantly.
from netflix:
"Filmmaker Nati Baratz follows the spellbinding journey of Tibetan Buddhist monk Tenzin Zopa as he travels far and wide to identify the child who is the reincarnation of his deceased master, Lama Konchog. Acting on instructions from the Dalai Lama, the shy Zopa relies on astrology, dreams and other signs to locate the child, knowing that if he succeeds, he must also convince the boy's parents to release their child into his care."
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Unmistaken-Child/70109096?strackid=20ba15cb907e186_0_srl&strkid=642131526_0_0&trkid=222336
i have to say, i was much more skeptical before i had seen it, but afterwards... i was sort of just shocked. the child they find is truly remarkable and erased a lot of doubts for me. but it really just made more questions in my mind than answers lol. namely... confusion that someone could die, be reborn, and then recall so much about their previous life.
fyi, anyone with netflix can watch this movie instantly.
0
Comments
Just added it to my queue. think this may be a Buddhism viewing weekend as I have Dalai Lama : the Soul of Tibet on the way
I won't say I'm convinced that reincarnation happens, but there were things going on in this movie that would be difficult to explain otherwise. I'd say it's definitely worth watching.
Well, "someone" describes me! Better still, "nobody" describes me. Lama Konchog was an extraordinary and remarkable lama trained from age seven as a geshe and tantric yogi who lived in a cave for 7 years surviving on "wind-chulen" - that's essence from air....now that's confusing....are we practicing like we are running out of time yet.....?
http://www.tonglen.oceandrop.org/Geshe_Lama_Konchog.htm
exactly. i try to be skeptical, but unless they were coaching this child in between scenes (possible, but i would think not very likely), it was pretty remarkable.
wow. that site was pretty informative and interesting. i feel like a lot of this seems to defy logic, lol.
Me too.
To be fair to the filmmakers there's only so much that can be shown in the span of a couple of hours, and, I think, delving too much into the culture would have detracted from the focal point of the film.
Palzang
perhaps it will be coming soon to netflix. you can't rent it yet, but you can save it in your queue anyways. it looks awesome.
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Buddha-s-Lost-Children/70129261?strackid=33af6990f705e329_0_srl&strkid=387585818_0_0&trkid=438381
Unfortunately with Netflix I think that just means they're aware of its existence and may get it in stock one of these years. I've been waiting for them to get The Dhamma Brothers in for ages.
yeah, i've had that experience too. but i also think that perhaps they're just waiting for enough people to add it to their queue. if there's a great demand for it, then they might get it. but it only costs 30 on that website so i might just splurge if it takes too long.
using a torrent for a buddhist movie just seems... even more wrong than usual... hahaha.
we all obviously have access to the internet and as palzang was so kind to give a link to where it could be purchased, it is mere theft to use an illegal torrent.
Stupid Palzang. Ruined all our fun.
It freaked her out. Beyond her ability to comprehend and mine as well, to a point.
I was also somewhat put off by how dependent the heart student appeared to be toward his teacher. When the Buddha was dying he refused to appoint a successor and instead told the monks the dharma was enough and each person should work it out for themselves. Seems odd that this tradition would place so much emphasis on it's teachers rather than more emphasis on developing the students to not need their teachers anymore.
I dunno, I guess the film aroused more sadness than anything else in me.
I get the impression that Tenzin Zopa's attachment to Geshe-la was less because he was his teacher and more because he was such a close personal friend. In fact if I understand correctly Zopa had known Geshe-la pretty much his entire life, with Geshe-la even having assisting in his birth.
later in the film they do ask the parents. they have the option not to allow him to be taken to the monastery, and i recall the father saying, "if it weren't for the fact that he will become a benefit to countless sentient beings, i could not let him go..."
tenzin zopa also at one point recalls a story in which he actually chose to follow geshe-la. his father had wanted another path for him and at the age of 5, tenzin zopa said, "let me just ask him if he can accept me. if he cannot, i will never follow him again." but geshe-la accepted him and indeed, i think he was more of a parent or grandfather to him than a mere teacher.
I know, karma's a bitch, ennit?
Palzang
The notion of devotion to the guru is very difficult for Westerners to get because we are so taken with our "individuality". Everything in our little world revolves around that. So the notion of giving up that "individuality" is really frightening. We think if we do, we'll cease to exist. That, however, is the exact reason it is such a powerful technique, because it helps us break that habitual tendency of believing in the solidity of self that we have been holding on to since time out of mind and that is preventing us from seeing our true nature. If you can make that leap, then you're really more than halfway there.
Palzang
Love And Light,
Nidish
Palzang
Love And Light,
Nidish
Palzang
Love And Light,
Nidish
Buddha is Buddha, Buddhism is Buddhism. There is only one teacher and one teaching. The way it is presented, however, differs a lot from one school to another, which is a good thing because there are many different types of people, some of whom are more attracted to one form over another. This is an indication of the skillful means of the Buddha.
As to your questions, it all depends on what you mean by "enlightened". In Tibetan Buddhism, there are degrees of realization, called bhumis (10 of 'em), that one passes through on the way to ultimate enlightenment. Ultimate enlightenment in this case means dissolution into the Dharmakaya, which implies never again taking rebirth. Bodhisattvas pledge to return again and again to samsara for the sake of sentient beings. That is why the Dalai Lama (and many others) keep coming back. They come back because of the connections they have made with countless students over many lifetimes who pray for their return, and it is these prayers that, you might say, draw them back. If nobody cared one way or the other, there would be no need for them to come back and they could enter that blissful state. That's the way they explain it anyway.
In my opinion, and from what I've seen, many of these bodhisattvas are enlightened, but what do I know? Certainly I have seen the miraculous signs traditionally assigned to enlightened beings associated with many of these bodhisattvas. So it's a question of semantics I'd say. The Dalai Lama and other such teachers have the ability to be of ultimate benefit to their students, which is the only thing that really counts anyway, imho. So if they don't choose to call themselves enlightened, that's OK. What enlightened being would do that anyway? If you find a teacher that does, I'd suggest going the other way as quickly as possible!
Palzang
And, (this is another question)
How does praying actually matter?
Palzang
Even if it is not a movie, I think I'll still be skeptical.
Palzang
This sounds right up my alley..I'm been eager to find something like Dr. Ian Stevenson's work with children that provides evidence for rebirth (and as it is, his work is highly disputed)..I will have to try to find a copy of this.
I see. It is all very weird, is it not?
Takeahnase Netflix has it in stock. I downloaded it with Roku. Should be able to order it by mail also.