On DVD: Journey into Budhism

Journey into Buddhism

Directed, Written, and Filmed By: John Bush

Narrated by: John Bush, Sharon Stone, Dadon, Tenzin L Choegyal (nephew of the Dalai Lama)

Yatra means journey in Sanskrit. John Bush’s Journey into Buddhism trilogy is a visual yatra into the bowels of Buddhist practice in Asia. There are many temples, much art work, and interesting rituals to behold throughout the three documentaries. Truly it is a challenge to capture the essence of a religion in a documentary because religion is such a dynamic and multifaceted social phenomenon. Yet, adopting the quest as his framework, Bush takes a quiet, contemplative and sometimes academic walk through the holy sites of Asia to enlighten us about Buddhism. This collection of films was recently released by WGBH Boston.

The Movie

The trilogy begins with Dharma River, where we explore such places as Burma, Laos, and Thailand. We see many shrines, temples and sites of reverence. One of the most striking images was of a golden Buddha lying on his side. This statue stands some five stories.

Prajna Earth, the second installment, leads us through radiant places in Cambodia, Bali, and Java. Sharon Stone provides a soothing voice as we meander through more of Asia on this ongoing series.The largest temple in world resides in Angkor, Cambodia and is most interesting to see. Paramount to understanding the religious climate of Asia, this film showed the interface between old animistic religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism. As the new faiths spread, elements of the older faith remained in tact. So, in some temples you might see Hindu gods and Buddhist images juxtaposed in harmony.

The final film, Vajra Sky, takes us through Tibet. On top of amazing temples and shrines, we see many festivals, monasteries, and rituals take place. Also, John Bush, along with Dadon and Tenzin L. Choegyal, narrate Vajra Sky and provide a great deal of insight into the conflict between the communists and Buddhists in China. We see the palaces where the Dalai Lama would have resided had the red party not driven him out.

The Yatra Trilogy, as this film is sometimes called, provides a good visual documentary of Buddhist holy sites. Bush is not an overbearing narrator, so he lets us see and take in the images slowly and tranquilly. If you are looking for a thrilling documentary, this is not your trilogy. This documentary series can be boring. However, this weakness is also its strength. The quietude and contemplative nature of the films are not trying to sell Buddhism, history, art appreciation, etc. Bush captures things simply, as a Buddhist is taught perceive the world. The trilogy has a spiritual power to it because of its pacing and simplistic view of things.

The score of this trilogy is quite intoxicating. There is a combination of instrumental, choir and chant vocals and on site sounds throughout the film. The various songs create a wonderful mix of soothing sounds that complement the beautiful images seen throughout.

At the same time, Journey into Buddhism is also uneven in its treatment of holy sites. Yes, the films are all evenly timed, but Bush is noticeably more vocal in Vajra Sky, in which he reveals that Vajrayana Buddhism is what he learned from Tibetan monks. So, there is a natural bias that is unfortunately noticeable. His zeal for Tibetan Buddhism is striking as he speaks more, gives us more details about the spiritual life in Tibet, and gives Buddhism in Tibet more of a human face.

Also, the trilogy had another fatal flaw, which caused me to feel the tedium of the slow, spiritual nature of the films. The films did not follow any people and their relations to the holy sites covered throughout the film. This would have provided more fodder for interest. Perhaps it would allow us to connect more to the holy sites if we had stories of people weaving in and out of our journey. After all, the Buddha was an ordinary person who because enlightened; he is someone we can understand and reach. As mentioned, Bush offers more humanity in the third film, which makes it more interesting. Also, the atrocities done by the communists also make the story of Tibet automatically more interesting.

6.5/10

The Video

Presented in full screen format, the video quality is basically good. The colors are sometimes a bit dull and dim, which gives this an older film feel.

5/10

The Audio

In 5.1 Dolby Digital, the sound is well balanced and good.

6/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features

The DVD release is packaged in three standard aramay cases with a shell cardboard box.  The art design is simple, with a cool violet background behind a scene from the documentaries.

The DVD release offers no real features to speak of. On the third disc, there is a brief interview with the Dalai Lama’s nephew, who now lives in Seattle.

5/10

Overall, Journey into Buddhism is a sound treatment of holy sites and sounds in Buddhist Asia. Yet, the documentaries have their shortcomings that detract from connecting with buildings and things. Using quest as a narrative framework could have been fleshed out more by a human touch.

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

The Review

The Movie 6.5/10

The Video 5/10

The Audio 6/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 5/10

Overall (Not an Average) 6/10

-Chuck Knight