The story of Tibet's 11th Century mystic comes alive on the screen in a haunting and mesmerizing way. At a time when Buddhist texts describe sorcerers roaming the land, this magical world is definitely foreign to westerners.
Milarepa was born into a wealthy family however when his father died, leaving his mother, sister and himself (along with all their possessions) in the care of his uncle and aunt, their lives changed forever. The greedy relatives took all their money and possessions and basically enslaved his family, causing his mother to ultimately seek revenge by sending her son off to learn the powers of sorcery in order to make the aunt and uncle suffer as they had made her family suffer through the years.
Milarepa first learns the basics of magic - enough to go back to his village and get the revenge his mother seeks. He "thinks sorcery is a poor man's weapon against injustice," but soon discovers he is tormented by the scenes of death and suffering his powers created. Yes, those who were responsible for his family's suffering ultimately suffered themselves, but Milarepa does not feel any relief in that fact. He seeks sanctuary in a Buddhist temple where he learns from an old monk that his actions were not the end to his suffering. He learns that "revenge doesn't solve any problem. It only creates more." The monk tells him, "Enemies arise from your own mind; to conquer them, cease negative actions, cultivate positive ones, and tame your mind." Milarepa sets out on his next journey in his quest for enlightenment. The next part of his story will be released in 2009.
The film was shot mainly in the Spiti Valley in India near Tibet. It is in Tibetan with English subtitles which are easy to follow. This is a compelling story that will touch a chord in audiences as they watch this man grow and learn, and start on his path of spiritual awakening.
|
Top Stories
4 Comments
