Our Life Is Like Our Breath

Pictures of revered teachers, places, rupas, temples, bhikkhus, shrine rooms etc. that bring inspiration to our members. Pilgrimage advice, devotion etc.
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Subhatto
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:30 am
Location: Zaanstad

Our Life Is Like Our Breath

Post by Subhatto »

This documentary film describes in detail the daily life in the international forest monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand. In this story, the viewer comes to know about the Vipassanā meditation practice and the philosophy and customs of the beggar monks through the eyes of a European monk, the actor in the film.

Besides the main Buddhistic philosophy (Theravada) and the monasterial life, this film also shows Thailand's social structures very impressively. In addition, one accompanies the forest monks to a smaller monastery in a national park on the Mekong river, the border river to Laos.

One of the highlights of the film, is the monks' jungle retreat in the far west of the country, very near to the border with Burma (Myanmar). This malaria infested national park, is home to the famous river Kwai, which flows through it. Here the audience becomes a witness, to how the head of the monastery, a Canadian and environment activist, is engaged in the fight to stop the last jungles of Thailand being cut down and cleared by fire.

The main monastery of the forest monks, the Wat Pah Nanachat, was founded in 1975 by the well known Buddhist master of meditation, Ajahn Chah, for the increasing number of his western disciples. Under his guidance, more than 100 monasteries have been established, some of them in western countries such as England, Australia, New Sealand, Switzerland, Italy and the USA. In England, there are already 4 monasteries in this tradition!

The first head of the forest monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand, was an American, Ajahn Sumedho. He was the spiritual head of the international Forest Saṇgha and the corresponding Buddhist Center in England, the Amaravati.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJjszTXn5lw

P.S. For those who are interested in this documentary, I can share this through dropbox or someone got another idea to share.
The Dhamma guide those who practice the Dhamma
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Crazy cloud
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 8:55 am

Re: Our Life Is Like Our Breath

Post by Crazy cloud »

Hi,
extremly interested (if legal ..?!), and db works fine over here

metta

:smile:
If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care for you

We would zig-zag our way
Through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain

Wondering which of the
Buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing
- Roger Waters
Javi
Posts: 479
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:40 pm

Re: Our Life Is Like Our Breath

Post by Javi »

I googled and found a site with what seems like the full doc (in three parts)

http://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/v ... rbreath1-3
Vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā — All things decay and disappoint, it is through vigilance that you succeed — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

Self-taught poverty is a help toward philosophy, for the things which philosophy attempts to teach by reasoning, poverty forces us to practice. — Diogenes of Sinope

I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind — Ecclesiastes 1.14
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