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DESTROYER OF ILLUSION: The Secret World of a Tibetan Lama DVDwritten and directed by Richard Kohn, produced by Franz-Christophe Giercke and Barbara Becker, narrated by Richard GereUnprecedented access and intimate knowledge inform this richly detailed and beautifully filmed portrait of a secret Tibetan Buddhist ritual, the Mani Rimdu festival, and the remarkable spiritual teacher, Trulshik Rinpoche, who leads and preserves this centuries-old tradition. Previously broadcast on PBS Richard Gere narrates with the clarity and resonant depth of an insider. This is a chance to witness a private sacred realm as if you were there. The Lord of the Dance is the deity of Mani Rimdu, the major sacred festival of the Everest region. Each autumn, Trulshik Rinpoche, the spiritual leader of the region, goes from his home in Thubten Choling to Chiwong Monastery to preside over the festival. His name means "destroyer of illusion." During three weeks of ancient and secret ceremonies, the monks of Thubten Choling and Chiwong become Lord of the Dance, and with the compassion of the gods, undertake heroic tasks. They challenge the most dangerous supernatural forces of the universe, bend them to their will, and then dramatize that conquest in dance. They dissolve the universe into clear and infinite light, and pour that energy into magic pills that they distribute to the thousand villagers who attend Mani Rimdu seeking empowerment. In Destroyer of Illusion we meet the men who undertake these tasks. We see the world through their eyes--a world where the mountains are filled with gods, and a human being's potential is limited only by his imagination and his will. Writer/Director Richard Kohn spent several years in Nepal researching Tibetan Buddhist teachings and rituals, particularly the Mani Rimdu festival. His doctoral thesis about this tradition was published by SUNY Press as Lord of the Dance: The Mani Rimdu Festival in Tibet and Nepal. "If your mind is pure, everyone is a Buddha. If your mind is impure, everyone is ordinary."--Trulshik Rinpoche XI Filmed on location in the Solu-Khumbu Everest region of Nepal. "In the west, we think of magic as the art of creating illusions. For Tibetans, destroying illusions is the highest form of magic."-- excerpt from Destroyer of Illusion "Jewel of a documentary." --Boston Globe "Pulsating with color, movement, music and...faith."--San Francisco Chronicle Films from the International Buddhist Film Festival | |
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