Women of Tibet: The Buddha's Wife
Encyclopedia
Women of Tibet: The Buddha's Wife is a documentary film
directed and produced by Rosemary Rawcliffe
. It is the third and final film in the Women of Tibet trilogy and is expected for release in 2011.
and peace. Forced by the demands of modern living we delve into what it means to follow a spiritual path while reexamining traditional roles. This film seeks to shed light on what happens when two primal forces, the Divine Feminine and the Sacred Masculine, begin to work together to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.
This story begins long before the Buddha was the Buddha. As the story of Yashodhara
's marriage to Siddhartha
unfolds, the film takes us on a journey into the profound changes we all experience on our quest to become fully realized human beings. We learn that theirs was a sacred marriage, a karmic journey across time and space. He destined to become the Buddha
, she, the Buddha's Wife.
By using their story as a metaphor, we learn from Dr. Angeles Arrien
that "sacred marriage" is an esoteric term for two life force energies living within each of us, a dynamic force and a magnetic force.
Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
explains that we all have these two energies, the feminine and masculine, inside each of us, whether we're male or female.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
shares his struggles as a young man bringing these two forces into balance. He describes these forces as the positive and negative energies in all living things, and how when they are in balance, a person becomes stronger. Rinchen Khando and Tendzin Choegyal (the Dalai Lama's younger brother) share what they've learned from each other during their 37 years of marriage and how integrating these two life forces within themselves individually has helped develop each of them spiritually. Ogyen Trinley Dorje, The 17th Karmapa talks about his experience of being in a male body, yet in his everyday life he has a strong feminine emotion, and relates childhood memories that affected how he developed his inner feminine.
And then Tibetan Oracle
s and Mediums, Lhamo Yudronma, Khandro Choechen, and Khando Lhamo Tseringma bridge heaven and earth, past and future, known and unknown, showing us that there are "sacred marriages" to be found everywhere and in everything we do.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed and produced by Rosemary Rawcliffe
Rosemary Rawcliffe
Rosemary Rawcliffe is a British filmmaker best known for her documentary trilogy, Women of Tibet, which she wrote, produced, and directed.-Career:...
. It is the third and final film in the Women of Tibet trilogy and is expected for release in 2011.
Synopsis
The Buddha's Wife is the final film in the Women of Tibet trilogy of one-hour documentaries exploring the Buddhist values at the heart of Tibetan culture — compassion, nonviolenceNonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
and peace. Forced by the demands of modern living we delve into what it means to follow a spiritual path while reexamining traditional roles. This film seeks to shed light on what happens when two primal forces, the Divine Feminine and the Sacred Masculine, begin to work together to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.
This story begins long before the Buddha was the Buddha. As the story of Yashodhara
Yashodhara
Princess Yasodharā was the wife of Prince Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.She later entered the order of Buddhist nuns and is considered an Arahant.-Life:...
's marriage to Siddhartha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
unfolds, the film takes us on a journey into the profound changes we all experience on our quest to become fully realized human beings. We learn that theirs was a sacred marriage, a karmic journey across time and space. He destined to become the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, she, the Buddha's Wife.
By using their story as a metaphor, we learn from Dr. Angeles Arrien
Angeles Arrien
Dr. Angeles Arrien is an anthropologist and an organizational consultant. She is the founder and president of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research and author of The Four-Fold Way...
that "sacred marriage" is an esoteric term for two life force energies living within each of us, a dynamic force and a magnetic force.
Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox (priest)
Matthew Fox is an American priest and theologian. Formerly a member of the Dominican order within the Roman Catholic Church, Fox is now a member of the Episcopal Church....
explains that we all have these two energies, the feminine and masculine, inside each of us, whether we're male or female.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
shares his struggles as a young man bringing these two forces into balance. He describes these forces as the positive and negative energies in all living things, and how when they are in balance, a person becomes stronger. Rinchen Khando and Tendzin Choegyal (the Dalai Lama's younger brother) share what they've learned from each other during their 37 years of marriage and how integrating these two life forces within themselves individually has helped develop each of them spiritually. Ogyen Trinley Dorje, The 17th Karmapa talks about his experience of being in a male body, yet in his everyday life he has a strong feminine emotion, and relates childhood memories that affected how he developed his inner feminine.
And then Tibetan Oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
s and Mediums, Lhamo Yudronma, Khandro Choechen, and Khando Lhamo Tseringma bridge heaven and earth, past and future, known and unknown, showing us that there are "sacred marriages" to be found everywhere and in everything we do.
Cast
- Tenzin Gyatso - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as Himself
- Ogyen Trinley Dorje - His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, as Himself
- Tendzin Choegyal - Ngari Rinpoche, as Himself
- Rinchen Khando Choegyal, as Herself
- Dr. Angeles Arrien, as Herself
- Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox, as Himself
- Khando Lhamo Tseringma - State Medium of the Tenma oracleTenma goddessesThe Tenma goddesses are twelve guardian deities in the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism. In hierarchy, they fall under Palden Lhamo, one of the eight Dharmapala deities....
, as Herself - Khandro Choechen, as Herself
- Lhamo Yudronma - Medium of Dorje Yudronma, as Herself
See also
- Women of Tibet: A Quiet RevolutionWomen of Tibet: A Quiet RevolutionWomen of Tibet: A Quiet Revolution is a documentary film directed and produced by Rosemary Rawcliffe. The film premiered at the 2007 Mill Valley Film Festival where it was awarded Official Selection and had its television release on PBS on April 12, 2008....
- Women of Tibet: Gyalyum Chemo - The Great MotherWomen of Tibet: Gyalyum Chemo - The Great MotherWomen of Tibet: Gyalyum Chemo - The Great Mother is a documentary film directed and produced by Rosemary Rawcliffe. The film premiered on May 28, 2006 at the Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival where it was awarded Official Selection...