This is the first of a sensitive two-part documentary showing how death and dying is contextualised in the traditional Buddhist culture in Ladakh. A Tibetan man has died and the family gather round as the Tibetan Book of the Dead is read to help guide the dead man into a good rebirth in his future life.
There is an interview with HH The Dalai Lama; interviews with ordinary Ladakhis and we see how they feel about death and dying; and we also see how those teachings are also helping people in the West to undergo the transition from life to death and back to life again at the Living/Dying project in the USA.
The documentary was made as a joint project between NHK (Japan), Mistral (France) and NFC (Cananda), and has a haunting narration by Leonard Cohen, one of the earliest and most intelligent of the “celebrity” converts to Buddhism in the West.
if this video is no longer available please leave a comment so I can update the page
(the comment is not published)
to see a set of stills click on the date at the top of the embed below
Dear Bhante
This is a lovely and sensitive portrayal of the soul’s journe through the bardos as well as an important portrayal of the way religion is intertwined with living and dying.
Thank you for posting it.
With metta
Kah Choon