What are good movies to watch in (Zen, Buddhism or Tao)?

[evZENy]

also "The Valley of Flowers" , directed by Pan Nalin, who also did "Samsara" and many other similar movies

(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0659023/)

 

Working on a new "Buddha" movie right now.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

also "The Valley of Flowers" , directed by Pan Nalin, who also did "Samsara" and many other similar movies

(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0659023/)

 

Working on a new "Buddha" movie right now.

 

Great share it with us when you are done!

[Ya Mu]

The Golden Compass is a movie that tells quite a bit of truth in a fictional style. It certainly will make you think and is entertaining as well.

[Dainin]

"El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" by the Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky include some of these elements, as well as a whole lot more (Gurdjieff, tarot, etc). These are very strange and amazing films.

 

I'm surprised no one mentioned the most obvious one: Star Wars!

Edited June 2, 2009 by Dainin

[DalTheJigsaw123]

The Golden Compass is a movie that tells quite a bit of truth in a fictional style. It certainly will make you think and is entertaining as well.

 

I heard The Golden Compass was good, I am going to check it out. Thanks for reminding me.

 

"El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" by the Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky include some of these elements, as well as a whole lot more (Gurdjieff, tarot, etc). These are very strange and amazing films.

 

I'm surprised no one mentioned the most obvious one: Star Wars!

 

 

Ehh, for some reason I cannot get into Star Wars! Thanks, will try it or something. haha.

[Sunya]

I really liked Spring Summer Fall Winter, so good..

 

 

I would recommend "The Cup" or "Phorpa" which is about young Tibetan monks obsessed with soccer, very good film. directed and written by Khyentse Norbu Rinpoche, who also made Travelers and Magicians

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201840/

 

I would also recommend Baraka, which isn't Buddhist or religious per say, but definitely spiritual as the whole movie has no dialogue and its just scenes taken world-wide with beautiful environments, though provoking imagery and a general sense of contemplation. One of my favorite movies of all time.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/

 

what else..what else... if you can deal with symbolic imagery than Holy Mountain is worth seeing. made in the 70s very influenced by LSD, Yoga, and Western occult.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071615/

Edited June 2, 2009 by mikaelz

[Sunya]

[Guest paul walter]

Here are some Asian films I know that may be of interest.

 

 

 

The filmmaker in cinema who most embodies the zen aesthetic (style) and understanding, is a guy called Yasujiro Ozu. He died in 1963 after making about 80 feature films-about half the films survive. Some of his films are regarded as high points of film history. He was regarded by the Japs as the most traditionally 'Japanese' of all filmmakers for his heavily zen influenced style, unlike Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai et al) who was/is regarded as much more of a western influenced filmmaker in Japan. Some titles are available in the Criterion Collection DVD series (sometimes you can find his films for cheaps in Chinese bookshops, though they may not always have english subtitles). If you like zen poetry/haiku/painting/concepts then try these:

 

Late Spring,1949 (lots of zen references, agonzingly affecting in some ways)

Tokyo Story,1948 (life and death and all that poignancy)

Floating Weeds, 1958 (about a Kabuki troupe/love,time,bitterness and loss)

Early Summer,1953 (age,youth,the inevitable)

 

 

just about any film by Ozu will grow on you given the patience to 'feel' his message.

 

 

Also: The Burmese Harp, 1957 (or 'Harp of Burma')-about Jap soldiers at the end of the war in WW11 and one of them becoming a Buddhist in reaction to all the death.

 

Why has Boddhidarma left for the east?,1989 -Korean film about a boy who leaves his monastery to find enlightenment in the city and the travails therein.

 

-there was a Korean comedy done a few years ago about a bunch of taoists living in a crappy Seoul inner-city loft and doing good/fighting crime/qigong on the roof/levitating.....can't remember the name-one word title.

 

Tai-chi Master,1993-Chinese action/comedy with Jet Li directed and choreographed by Woo-ping Yuen (did the action for 'Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') about two Shaolin warriors who become rivals-the Taoist one doesn't succumb to power/corruption, the 'Buddhist' one does, hehe.

 

Pushing Hands,1992 and Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon,2000- Two films by Ang Lee. Both not explicitly taoist but both influenced by the philosophy. Pushing hands his first rather awkward feature about an old Chinese guy in America and his inability to fit in (he's a Fa Jin master and does some stuff on people). Crouching Tiger has the martial arts of Wudang featured but also a mood/style very influenced by the taoist approach to life.

 

 

An 'honorary' Budda/Taoist type influenced filmmaker I would include is Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian filmmaker who died in 1987. He studied eastern studies when young and it left an indelible mark on his consciousness and film style. He is also very Russian, if you know what I mean. Regarded by many as one of the great filmmakers. The films that most embody the views you may appreciate are

 

Andrei Roublev,1966 (about a Christian icon painter in the 13th century who retreats from the world into silence out of revulsion from what he observes/does)

 

Solaris,1972 (like '2001:a space oddysey', but if it was made by a buddhist. He made it partly in reaction to the spiritual vacuum he perceived in '2001'. Scientists discover a sea of cloud/something in deep space that seems to interact with the lives/memories of humans. Very illustrative of our relativity in the universe and how our thoughts/existence influence our reality).

 

Stalker,1979 (three men enter the Zone (I read Tao), a scientist,an artist and a 'stalker'(a guide). They each are confronted by their own minds/expectations' search for 'meaning' in relation to the unknowable mystery of real life).

 

The Sacrifice,1987(Made as Tarkovsky was dying of cancer-his testament to the world and the importance of sacrifice. Some Zen/buddhist concepts).

 

 

Will stop there for now There are a hundred more films I could include with Taoist martial artists and buddhist types as characters in films that are mostly garbage or not really relevant to your request. Paul.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Here are some Asian films I know that may be of interest.

The filmmaker in cinema who most embodies the zen aesthetic (style) and understanding, is a guy called Yasujiro Ozu. He died in 1963 after making about 80 feature films-about half the films survive. Some of his films are regarded as high points of film history. He was regarded by the Japs as the most traditionally 'Japanese' of all filmmakers for his heavily zen influenced style, unlike Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai et al) who was/is regarded as much more of a western influenced filmmaker in Japan. Some titles are available in the Criterion Collection DVD series (sometimes you can find his films for cheaps in Chinese bookshops, though they may not always have english subtitles). If you like zen poetry/haiku/painting/concepts then try these:

 

Late Spring,1949 (lots of zen references, agonzingly affecting in some ways)

Tokyo Story,1948 (life and death and all that poignancy)

Floating Weeds, 1958 (about a Kabuki troupe/love,time,bitterness and loss)

Early Summer,1953 (age,youth,the inevitable)

 

 

just about any film by Ozu will grow on you given the patience to 'feel' his message.

Also: The Burmese Harp, 1957 (or 'Harp of Burma')-about Jap soldiers at the end of the war in WW11 and one of them becoming a Buddhist in reaction to all the death.

 

Why has Boddhidarma left for the east?,1989 -Korean film about a boy who leaves his monastery to find enlightenment in the city and the travails therein.

 

-there was a Korean comedy done a few years ago about a bunch of taoists living in a crappy Seoul inner-city loft and doing good/fighting crime/qigong on the roof/levitating.....can't remember the name-one word title.

 

Tai-chi Master,1993-Chinese action/comedy with Jet Li directed and choreographed by Woo-ping Yuen (did the action for 'Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') about two Shaolin warriors who become rivals-the Taoist one doesn't succumb to power/corruption, the 'Buddhist' one does, hehe.

 

Pushing Hands,1992 and Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon,2000- Two films by Ang Lee. Both not explicitly taoist but both influenced by the philosophy. Pushing hands his first rather awkward feature about an old Chinese guy in America and his inability to fit in (he's a Fa Jin master and does some stuff on people). Crouching Tiger has the martial arts of Wudang featured but also a mood/style very influenced by the taoist approach to life.

 

 

An 'honorary' Budda/Taoist type influenced filmmaker I would include is Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian filmmaker who died in 1987. He studied eastern studies when young and it left an indelible mark on his consciousness and film style. He is also very Russian, if you know what I mean. Regarded by many as one of the great filmmakers. The films that most embody the views you may appreciate are

 

Andrei Roublev,1966 (about a Christian icon painter in the 13th century who retreats from the world into silence out of revulsion from what he observes/does)

 

Solaris,1972 (like '2001:a space oddysey', but if it was made by a buddhist. He made it partly in reaction to the spiritual vacuum he perceived in '2001'. Scientists discover a sea of cloud/something in deep space that seems to interact with the lives/memories of humans. Very illustrative of our relativity in the universe and how our thoughts/existence influence our reality).

 

Stalker,1979 (three men enter the Zone (I read Tao), a scientist,an artist and a 'stalker'(a guide). They each are confronted by their own minds/expectations' search for 'meaning' in relation to the unknowable mystery of real life).

 

The Sacrifice,1987(Made as Tarkovsky was dying of cancer-his testament to the world and the importance of sacrifice. Some Zen/buddhist concepts).

Will stop there for now There are a hundred more films I could include with Taoist martial artists and buddhist types as characters in films that are mostly garbage or not really relevant to your request. Paul.

 

 

Ahh, long list! Thank you. I will definitely check it out. Thank you!

[Guest paul walter]

While my memory is being jogged- Ghost Dog,1999 (film by Jim Jarmusch about a hit man living by zen/samurai principles, reads the 'Hagakure' for inspiration/guidance-has music by Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and cameo by Yang Ming Shi who is a Shaolin warrior monk who is presently replicating Shaolin Temple and practice somewhere in NY State). This film is a remake of a famous French film called 'Le Samouri' from 1964.

 

The name of the Korean comedy about Taoists is called Arahan,2003.

 

Also I see there is a Korean film comedy/action about a taoist who saves the world coming in 2009 called 'Jeon Woo Chi' and a biopic of 'Confucious' with Chow Yun Fat as the big guy and Lao Zi in a support role! Life just gets better and better! Paul.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

While my memory is being jogged- Ghost Dog,1999 (film by Jim Jarmusch about a hit man living by zen/samurai principles, reads the 'Hagakure' for inspiration/guidance-has music by Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and cameo by Yang Ming Shi who is a Shaolin warrior monk who is presently replicating Shaolin Temple and practice somewhere in NY State). This film is a remake of a famous French film called 'Le Samouri' from 1964.

 

The name of the Korean comedy about Taoists is called Arahan,2003.

 

Also I see there is a Korean film comedy/action about a taoist who saves the world coming in 2009 called 'Jeon Woo Chi' and a biopic of 'Confucious' with Chow Yun Fat as the big guy and Lao Zi in a support role! Life just gets better and better! Paul.

 

Agreed!

 

Any good movies on Zen and Tao?

[Guest paul walter]

Agreed!

 

Any good movies on Zen and Tao?

 

 

Ok, tell me what you're looking for, what you expect from a movie "on Zen or Tao" and I'll try and remember and sift through all the stuff I've seen or know of that reside somewhere in my brain. Do you want documentaries too or just fiction films? Are you looking for more a serious dealing with the topics of Zen and Tao, Buddhism and not really genre oriented entertainment? Paul.

[steve]

The Golden Compass is a movie that tells quite a bit of truth in a fictional style. It certainly will make you think and is entertaining as well.

The Golden Compass is the first in a trilogy of novels called His Dark Materials. The book(s) is infinitely better than the movie. Please read the book(s) first!

 

 

"El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" by the Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky include some of these elements, as well as a whole lot more (Gurdjieff, tarot, etc). These are very strange and amazing films.

 

Thanks for mentioning those - two of my favorite flicks of all time. Santa Sangre is another of his films worth seeing.

 

Some other films a bit farther afield but worthwhile nonetheless:

 

Tom Tykwer's films Run Lola Run and The Princess and the Warrior have an interesting sensibility to them

Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book is very good

Nostalgia by Tarkovsky

Walkabout by Nicholas Roeg

Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave by Peter Weir

Tampopo by Juzo Itami

Breaking the Waves by Lars van Trier (one of the most intense films I've ever seen)

Across the Universe by Julie Taymor (I could watch it every day and not get tired of it)

 

I love a good movie!

 

Oops, how could I forget...

ASHES AND SNOW - an amazing film!!!

Here's a link to more info about the project: http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

Edited June 4, 2009 by xuesheng

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

Why has Boddhidarma left for the east?,1989 -Korean film about a boy who leaves his monastery to find enlightenment in the city and the travails therein.

 

I tried watching this movie in the hopes that it would be as good as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring... but I just couldn't get past the first 30 minutes. If it gets better as it goes along let me know and I will give it another try.

 

 

I would like to give an extra vote toward Avatar: The Last Airbender. For a cartoon, this was surprisingly good.

 

 

Also in the animation category, you should see the movie Princess Mononoke. This film depicts Shinto beliefs perfectly while expressing some very powerful and beautiful Buddhist and Shinto philosophy.

 

 

For Taosim, you must see the Zu Warriors movies. The first movie was from 1983, the second from 2001. Both are very good, but the older film can be a little cheesy because of the 80's graphics, while the newer movie is visually stunning. The movies take place in the Kunlun Mountains and follow the high flying adventures of a number of powerful Taoist immortals.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286098/

[Guest paul walter]

I tried watching this movie in the hopes that it would be as good as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring... but I just couldn't get past the first 30 minutes. If it gets better as it goes along let me know and I will give it another try.

 

 

I saw it almost 20 years ago on the big screen and it was pretty memorable because of the widescreen visuals which brought out the 'alienation in the big city' sort of thing that went well with the sparse dialogue/action. Don't think it's an unmissable film though. Some things (most for me) don't come across on the small screen so I've rarely watched films on tv/vid/dvd. Watch it alone after meditating/calming yourself, turn off the lights and at night-all I can suggest.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Ok, tell me what you're looking for, what you expect from a movie "on Zen or Tao" and I'll try and remember and sift through all the stuff I've seen or know of that reside somewhere in my brain. Do you want documentaries too or just fiction films? Are you looking for more a serious dealing with the topics of Zen and Tao, Buddhism and not really genre oriented entertainment? Paul.

 

 

Well, it could be doc and regular movies too. I have seen a few documentaries. I want movies like Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. One of the best movies I have seen in Buddhism/Tao/Zen. I just saw The Zen Mind, one of the best documentaries I have seen. I would love to see things like the two I have provided. Thank you so much for taking your time to share and recommend. Thank you all for spending your time on my thread. Hope you all take care. Thanks again.

 

http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=sprin...amp;x=0&y=0

[/url]

[Sunya]

found a list on Amazon of Buddhist inspired films

 

big list many good ones

 

 

1. Echos of Enlightenment

2. Enlightenment Guaranteed

3. I Heart Huckabees

4. Garden State

5. Zen Noir

6. Lost In Translation

7. The Science of Sleep

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

9. Himalaya

10. Asoka

11. American Beauty

12. Fight Club

13. Stealing Beauty

14. The Burmese Harp

15. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

16. Red Beard

17. High and Low

18. Groundhog Day

19. Defending Your Life

20. Stranger Than Fiction

 

21. The Dhamma Brothers

22. Awakenings

23. The Matrix

24. Kundun

25. Travelers & Magicians

26. Seven Samurai (DVD-2006)

27. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring

28. Rashomon

29. Doing Time, Doing Vipassana

30. The Cup

 

31. Words of My Perfect Teacher

32. Beyond Rangoon

33. Milarepa

34. Un Buda

35. The Fountain

36. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For The East?

37. The Truman Show

38. Jigoku

39. Siddhartha

40. The Razor's Edge (1984)

 

41. Kung Fu Panda

42. Revolver

43. Journey Into Buddhism Trilogy

44. The Saltmen of Tibet

45. The Lion's Roar

46. Synecdoche, New York

47. 2001: A Space Odyssey

48. Samsara

49. Windhorse

50. Horse Thief

 

51. Wheel of Time

52. Dreaming Lhasa

53. Little Buddha

54. Horton Hears a Who (1966)

55. Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

56. Seven Years in Tibet

57. A Mighty Heart

58. Fearless

59. Tibet: A Buddhist Trilogy

60. The Wizard of Oz

 

61. Spirited Away

62. The Big Lebowski

63. Caddy Shack

64. Buddha Wild: Monk in a Hut

65. A Monk's Awakening

66. Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

67. Innocent Voices

68. Into the Wild

69. Ghandi

70. Whalerider

 

71. Lord of the Rings Trilogy

72. What the Bleep Do We Know?

73. The Last Samurai

74. Crash

75. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

76. Baraka

77. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

78. Contact

79. Intersection

80. Pollyanna

[DalTheJigsaw123]

found a list on Amazon of Buddhist inspired films

 

big list many good ones

1. Echos of Enlightenment

2. Enlightenment Guaranteed

3. I Heart Huckabees

4. Garden State

5. Zen Noir

6. Lost In Translation

7. The Science of Sleep

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

9. Himalaya

10. Asoka

11. American Beauty

12. Fight Club

13. Stealing Beauty

14. The Burmese Harp

15. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

16. Red Beard

17. High and Low

18. Groundhog Day

19. Defending Your Life

20. Stranger Than Fiction

 

21. The Dhamma Brothers

22. Awakenings

23. The Matrix

24. Kundun

25. Travelers & Magicians

26. Seven Samurai (DVD-2006)

27. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring

28. Rashomon

29. Doing Time, Doing Vipassana

30. The Cup

 

31. Words of My Perfect Teacher

32. Beyond Rangoon

33. Milarepa

34. Un Buda

35. The Fountain

36. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For The East?

37. The Truman Show

38. Jigoku

39. Siddhartha

40. The Razor's Edge (1984)

 

41. Kung Fu Panda

42. Revolver

43. Journey Into Buddhism Trilogy

44. The Saltmen of Tibet

45. The Lion's Roar

46. Synecdoche, New York

47. 2001: A Space Odyssey

48. Samsara

49. Windhorse

50. Horse Thief

 

51. Wheel of Time

52. Dreaming Lhasa

53. Little Buddha

54. Horton Hears a Who (1966)

55. Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

56. Seven Years in Tibet

57. A Mighty Heart

58. Fearless

59. Tibet: A Buddhist Trilogy

60. The Wizard of Oz

 

61. Spirited Away

62. The Big Lebowski

63. Caddy Shack

64. Buddha Wild: Monk in a Hut

65. A Monk's Awakening

66. Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

67. Innocent Voices

68. Into the Wild

69. Ghandi

70. Whalerider

 

71. Lord of the Rings Trilogy

72. What the Bleep Do We Know?

73. The Last Samurai

74. Crash

75. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

76. Baraka

77. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

78. Contact

79. Intersection

80. Pollyanna

 

 

Wow, you are the greatest! Thank you for taking your time and doing it. It is much appreciated.

[Sunya]

 

 

by the way, what is your avatar picture of?

[DalTheJigsaw123]

by the way, what is your avatar picture of?

 

 

Of me jumping over fire!

[Guest paul walter]

Wow, you are the greatest! Thank you for taking your time and doing it. It is much appreciated.

 

 

 

Most of these have nothing to do with anything that LeonBasin has requested. People are always making lists of things they are reading their own orientations into. It's an old habit of groups that want film to be a part of their 'interesting mix'. Here is my list of the numbers that are misleading/not relevant at all. Of course anyone could come up with a theory as to why all these films are in any way connected to 'Buddhism' (and they have!):3, 4 ,6 ,7 ,8 ,11 ,12 ,13 ,17 ,18 ,19 ,20 ,22 ,26 ,28 ,32 ,37 ,38 ,42 (I take it they mean the 1992 one,not all the others with the same name) ,46 ,47 ,54 ,55 ,57 ,58 ,60, 61 ,62 ,63(!!) ,66, 68 ,69 ,70 ,71 ,72 ,73 ,74, 76 77, 78, 79, 80. There are about a dozen (mostly Asian) titles I left in because anyone could claim a buddhist pedigree if they tried hard enough simply from the fact they come out of buddhist influenced cultures. All in all a very white guys list-tryhards! hehe. Paul

 

Most of these have nothing to do with anything that LeonBasin has requested. People are always making lists of things they are reading their own orientations into. It's an old habit of groups that want film to be a part of their 'interesting mix'. Here is my list of the numbers that are misleading/not relevant at all. Of course anyone could come up with a theory as to why all these films are in any way connected to 'Buddhism' (and they have!):3, 4 ,6 ,7 ,8 ,11 ,12 ,13 ,17 ,18 ,19 ,20 ,22 ,26 ,28 ,32 ,37 ,38 ,42 (I take it they mean the 1992 one,not all the others with the same name) ,46 ,47 ,54 ,55 ,57 ,58 ,60, 61 ,62 ,63(!!) ,66, 68 ,69 ,70 ,71 ,72 ,73 ,74, 76 77, 78, 79, 80. There are about a dozen (mostly Asian) titles I left in because anyone could claim a buddhist pedigree if they tried hard enough simply from the fact they come out of buddhist influenced cultures. All in all a very white guys list-tryhards! hehe. Paul

 

 

 

 

Woops, also forgot to say there are some films here I haven't seen so left them in. Paul

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

You cut out #12, Fight Club, but I would argue that it needs to stay in. Granted the Buddhism is much easier to see in the book, but it is still in the movie. The initiation into the fight club was written specifically to mirror initiation as a monk into renounced life at a Japanese Zen monastery. Also, the ways in which the characters deal with illusion, desire, attachment, and identification with the self in order to become liberated and free from ego... makes this defiantly a Buddhist inspired film. When you look at it this way, the final scene, where the (now whole) main character silently watches as the samsaric world collapses, carries a completely different meaning.

 

Granted, I would never want to follow that particular path to enlightenment...

 

And #61, Spirited Away, is Shinto. So it is not Buddhist or Taoist, I admit, but I would not dismiss completely. It is still a very moving, eastern, spiritual film.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Most of these have nothing to do with anything that LeonBasin has requested. People are always making lists of things they are reading their own orientations into. It's an old habit of groups that want film to be a part of their 'interesting mix'. Here is my list of the numbers that are misleading/not relevant at all. Of course anyone could come up with a theory as to why all these films are in any way connected to 'Buddhism' (and they have!):3, 4 ,6 ,7 ,8 ,11 ,12 ,13 ,17 ,18 ,19 ,20 ,22 ,26 ,28 ,32 ,37 ,38 ,42 (I take it they mean the 1992 one,not all the others with the same name) ,46 ,47 ,54 ,55 ,57 ,58 ,60, 61 ,62 ,63(!!) ,66, 68 ,69 ,70 ,71 ,72 ,73 ,74, 76 77, 78, 79, 80. There are about a dozen (mostly Asian) titles I left in because anyone could claim a buddhist pedigree if they tried hard enough simply from the fact they come out of buddhist influenced cultures. All in all a very white guys list-tryhards! hehe. Paul

 

Woops, also forgot to say there are some films here I haven't seen so left them in. Paul

 

Thank you! Much appreciated;)

[Methexis]

[Rishi Das]

Pretty awesome thread here, lot's of great suggestions to check out.

 

To add one: Crazy Wisdom: The Life & Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche