Journey Into Buddhism: Dharma River

Description

Product Description

As the first documentary in the Yatra Trilogy, Dharma River is a timeless journey through legendary rivers to the greatest Buddhist temples and mystical sites of Laos, Thailand, and Burma. It offers a direct experience of lost civilizations, sacred spaces, and ancient traditions. A film by John Bush.

Review

Dharma River is an exquisitely beautiful journey through Laos, Thailand and Burma, exploring the important themes and landscapes of Buddhism at the source. Moving down rivers, through villages, and to important Buddhist pilgrimage sights…the visuals and narration create a mood of timeless peace. The musical score is perfect, the pacing is slow and hypnotic, and this viewer at least, felt altered by the experience of watching Dharma River. –Wes Nisker, Inquiring Mind

An essential film if you have an interest in Buddhism. Dharma River is the first volume in the Yatra trilogy of sacred journeys in Buddhism by John Bush (followed by Prajna Earth in 2004 and Vajra Sky Over Tibet in 2006); it’s a visually stunning glimpse of a sacred world that includes an unobtrusive narration by Bush, indigenous music (classical Saung Gauk (Harp) of Burma; the Khene, the giant mouth organ of Laos, and the centuries old Pi Phat ensemble of Thailand which includes gongs, xylophones and cymbals), and harmonic chants (from singer and composer David Hykes with The Harmonic Choir).

Yatra is the Sanskrit word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. This documentary takes the viewer on a picturesque river journey, suited for a pilgrim, through portions of Thailand, Laos and Burma. En route, the journey locales include the Emerald Buddha, the Royal Temple, the Ananda Temple built in 1091, Chaing Mai, Karen people, Mekong River, Shangri-la of Luang Prabang, Swedagon Pagoda, mystical sites and ruins of ancient civilizations, and in a fascinating way peeks at a myriad of iconic representations of the Buddha himself.

It might serve some as a meditation experience if used as an inner journey experience; it also sums up some basic beliefs of Buddhism. The Sanskrit word Dharma means universal law or that which upholds or supports the cosmos. The Dharma River is symbolic of the ceaseless stream of the life cycle, as it relates to how all things rise and pass away. The Buddhist’s aim is to raise consciousness and end suffering and fear; the Buddha nature is depicted as androgynous and the embodiment of radiance, a being understanding the truth of impermanence who is free of conditioning and of the imagined self. In Buddhism there is no supreme being, as the Buddha himself is depicted not as a God but as a fully evolved being.

The scholarship and the filmmaking is first-class. It’s a spiritual film with a big heart that dazzles with amazing imagery for the eye and its poetics are pleasing to the mind. It was made by a filmmaker living the trip and would probably be well-received by those who see it with an open mind. –Dennis Schwartz, Ozus’ World Movie Reviews

Creator, director, cinematographer John Bush undertakes the production of a travel documentary as if it were fine art. This is as good as this genre gets, and I ve been to many of the places Bush describes and shows us in this magnificently produced DVD. Had I viewed this DVD before I left for Thailand or Burma I would have known enough ahead of time to have planned to make other stops than the ones I stumbled upon. Looking at it now makes me want to go back.

Dharma River, one part of what Bush calls his Yatra Series, takes us through the cities, towns and countryside of some of the most spiritual geography on earth including visits to the Buddha landmarks and holy ground of Laos, Burma and Thailand. In between stops we feel immersed in the culture, the sounds and the very civilizations of these lands. Bush has spent much time there, his heart is here and it shows.

Director Bush, narrates Dharma River in a comforting and almost poetic fashion. Viewers get insightful facts and anecdotes without feeling like you re being clobbered with information. Maybe it is the ever-moving camera or the classical sacred music, but one does have the sense of a journey here into another time and place.

There is something meditative about his DVD, indeed, it even offers a version on the disc that allows you to view and feel the sights and sounds without the voice-over narration. Played like this the DVD journey can hang on the wall, a kind of moving image tapestry of a Buddha journey of discovery.

Other discs in the Yatra series include Prajna Earth, a trip through Cambodia, Bali and Java (narrated by Sharon Stone) and Vajra Sky, a journey through Central Tibet. If you are even vaguely considering a trip to any of these places you will want to view John Bush s DVDs before you firm up your plans. If you ve already been to any of these places, you will want to re-visit them on these discs – see some of what you saw from an artist s point of view, and a whole lot that you missed entirely. –Amit Goti, LA YOGA MAGAZINE