Message from crieder

[Anonymous]

I have always wanted to watch The Little Buddha, but have never taken the time. It surely is not a classic film, but in the eyes of middle school students it would be engaging. It is another film by the director, Bernardo Bertolucci who directed The Last Emperor which I also watched this week. The Little Buddha can not hold a candle to The Last Emperor for its dramatic appeal, but I think it would be worth showing some of the scenes when teaching about Buddhism. The film depicts the life of Siddhartha in his quest to find Enlightenment and the contmporary quest of Lama Nurbu who believes he has found the reincarnation of his former teacher in a Seattle child. The story unravels as the child learns about the teachings of Buddism. In classic Bertolucci style, the viewer is served a visual banquet. The cinamatography is beautiful, the costumes are suberb, and the acting is adequte. Tthough the plot is rather unelievable in part it will appeal to a 12 year old. The film could be shown in its entirety or just certain scenes could be shown. Some of this might even appeal to an elementary student.
The film may seem too simplistic to a Buddhist, but to the novice who does not know the story of Siddharha's life it can serve as a good introduction into Buddhist teachings. Buddha/Siddhartha who was a prince forsook courtly life and his family at age 30 and began fasting in a secluded way of life. There are four signs that lead to his inner struggle to search for a meaning to life. Once he sees suffering, he is changed and gains compassion. Eventually after observing the middle path, he reaches enlightenment under a bodhi tree. He then spends the next forty years known as the Buddha or the "awoken one" teaching others.