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Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

Posted on February 1, 2013November 28, 2015 by Dharma Documentaries
A National Geographic documentary looking at wildlife in Thailand from a Buddhist persepctive.

Thailand-Jewel-of-the-Orient

Part of the Living Edens series of documentaries made by National Geographic around the turn of the century, this episode looks at the natural world in Thailand.

The film is quite different from the normal NatGeo films, which tend to present things from a scientific point of view, in that here Buddhist philosophy is not only explained but woven into the story.

Ostensibly the film documents the lives of gibbons, binturong, elephants, tigers and more, and looks at life in the jungles, in caves, on the shore and in the coral reefs.

But along the way, in a very competently written narrative, basic Buddhist philosophy of impermanence, conditionality and rebirth is explained, and then exemplified by the scenes that are presented.

Some of the shooting was taken in an old abandoned temple, where tigers and cobras hunt at night, and moths undergo transformation, so the temple forms the backdrop to the unfolding dramas.

As always with the NatGeo documentaries there is a lot of remarkable photography, here specialising is slow motion views of some of the animals, from elephants to fruit bats.

 

if the video does not appear on the page, try reloading the page; and if that doesn’t work, leave a comment so I can update the page (the comment is not published)

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

Thailand, Jewel of the Orient

 

TAGS:
Culture, Ecology, Caves, Environment, Photography, Temples, Thailand

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