The Great Transmission

Buddhism ranks as one of the world's great ancient religions, begun 2,500 years ago by Prince Siddhartha, later known as the Buddha, who sat under a Bodhi tree and contemplated human existence—a seemingly unending circle of impermanence and suffering. Seeking perfect enlightenment, Siddhartha resolved to live in the seclusion of the forest, but legend has it that gods or spirits implored him to go forth and teach the dharma (or "way") to a waiting, wider world, sparking the first great transformation or transmission, one of many in Buddhist history. Directed by Pema Gellek and narrated by Michael Nouri, this documentary focuses on the legacy of Tibetan Buddhism, which has served for centuries as the guardian of Buddhist teaching and thought. In 1959, this tradition was shattered when Communist China invaded the country, destroying monasteries, burning libraries, and forcing 80,000 Tibetans into exile. The need to locate, retrieve, and publish scattered texts, transmitting them to future generations and Western and other cultures, became an urgent priority for exiled Buddhist monk Tarthang Tulku, who after settling in Berkeley, CA, started the Yeshe De project, using only the finest paper and binding for the texts. Along the way, the film also traces the rich history of Buddhism, which was initially isolated but would extend in the East as far as India and Afghanistan (12th-century Muslim invasions and internal conflicts limited but never ended Buddhist goals). Underscoring the importance of the survival of sacred texts, which remain "Tibet's offering to the world," The Great Transmission tells the story of one man's preservation efforts, while also interweaving larger historical aspects of one of the world's key faiths. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)