Religions of the World: Buddhism

Perfectly narrated by Ben Kingsley, the Religions of the World series (13 titles) examines the history of numerous religions, defining the differences and celebrating the similarities they share. As an occasional visitor to Buddhist temples, I was drawn to Buddhism, which uses archival and on-location footage as well as interviews, to teach viewers about Siddhartha Gautama (the First Buddha), the basic fundamentals of Buddhism (including pacifism and emotional liberation), the "Four Noble Truths," the different adaptations of Buddhism (as in the Mahayana, the Samurai and the Zen traditions), and offers definitions of popular ‘buzz' words such as karma, dharma, nirvana, zen and samsara. Here in the West, attention is focused on the Dalai Lama and the ‘Free Tibet' movement; with this program students/viewers will discover the thread that ties the ancient origins of Buddhism to present day events. Thought-provoking and highly recommended for most school collections as well as general religion collections in public libraries. The other titles in the series are: African and African-American Religions, Ancient Religions of the Mediterranean, Confucianism and Taoism, Native American Spirituality, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christianity, Shinto, Protestant Christianity, Religions of Small Societies and Skepticism & Religious Relativism. Aud: J, H, P. (N. Plympton)