This section of the Thai animation feature, Thus Have I Heard, tells the story of the passing of the Buddha’s father; the ordination of women; the miracles at Sāvatthī; the teaching of Abhidhamma in Tāvatiṁsa Heaven; the descent to Saṅkassa; the story of Māgandiya and his daughter; the residence in the Protected Forest; and the taming of Aṅgulimāla.
This five-hour animated film, which I have divided here into five sections, is probably the best Life of the Buddha feature film that has been made so far, being firmly based on the traditional stories in the Theravāda tradition, and giving enough space for the Buddha’s teachings to come through on full display.
The animation is very well-drawn, and the timing and direction are excellent. The only problem is the poor dubbing into English which could have been so much better if they had have employed people who knew the stories and Pāḷi. Still I really wouldn’t let that put you off as this is still far ahead of any of the other films made on the subject, and deserves to be seen far and wide.
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Dharma,
Lovely production and authentic storytelling. One thing that would have made even closer to the times of the Buddha ( for me ) is that the monks should look Indian and need to be darker.
We shouldn’t repeat what has happened in Christianity to Jesus who is depicted as white sometimes blonde. He’s from a desert tribe of Israel and would have been very dark. It matters to know originate order to maintain accuracy .
I enjoyed it.
Thank you