This is a short, but very inspiring film about the first Tibetan Kagyu Buddhist monastery founded in Europe, the Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre, which is situated at Eskdalemuir, near Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
It seems to have been founded in the mid-60s, and has had a long and sometimes controversial history, but that is not the subject of this film. What is covered is how the Centre has become a focus of activities emphasising living in a mindful and compassionate way.
One of the things that comes across is how well integrated the Centre has become into local Scottish life, presenting a good and attractive face for Tibetan Buddhism to the local community; and engaging in various good works, including inter-faith work, and supporting a Retreat Centre on Holy Island.
The film is divided into several segments, and we hear from some of the people associated with the Centre from the beginning; find out about Buddhism and Meditation; look at the monastic life in the monastery; learn something about Tibetan medicine and health; and look at the charitable works that the Rokpa Trust is engaged in.
One of these is the support of thousands of Tibetan children, who are orphans or from poor families, so that they may get their education. It was during a trip to Tibet to help support these projects that one of the founders, Akong Tulku Rinpoche was killed in a dispute over funds in 2013 (some 4 years after the film was published, so not mentioned here).
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to see an album of stills click here