700 1st St. NW
Albuquerque
New Mexico
$20 in advance, $25 day of event
RigDzin Dharma Center presents the FIRST ANNUAL BUDDHIST FILM FESTIVAL in Albuquerque. This special event features three new Buddhist films, a question and answer session with Venerable Traga Rinpoche, and a silent auction of unique Buddhist items.
DOORS OPEN AT 1 PM
Tickets now available to the general public - CALL 401-7340
($20 in advance - $25 day of event)
The Cell Theatre is an intimate venue for film. Seating is VERY LIMITED, please purchase tickets in advance.
1:30pm MUSTANG: JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION (30 min)
The Himalayan Kingdom of Mustang is one of the last sanctuaries of authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture. Long isolated by geography and politics, the people have struggled to survive, and the 15th century monasteries that are the center of their culture have come dangerously close to collapsing. MUSTANG tells the story of a Tibetan culture that ha pulled back from the brink of extinction through the restoration of its sacred sites. NARRATED BY RICHARD GERE AND FEATURING HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA.
2:00pm SKY BURIAL (15 min)
This film follows the ritual of "jha-tor", the giving of alms to birds in a northern Tibetan monastery, where the bodies of the dead are offered to the vultures as a final act of kindness to living beings. At the Drigung Monastery lamas chant to call the consciousness from the body. Juniper incense is burned to summon the vultures. Special body breakers, or "rogyapas", unwrap the bodies and cut away the flesh. The bones are crushed and mixed with tsampa (roasted barley flour). The entire body is consumed by the birds, assuring the ascent of the soul. The sky, or the universe, is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky after death is a holy event, one that replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.
2:30pm Q & A with Venerable Traga Rinpoche
3:00pm THE DEVOTION OF MATTHIEU RICARD (67 min)
Nearly 40 years ago Matthieu Ricard left his native France and a promising career in cellular genetics to become a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in Nepal. He is now a translator, photographer, and best-selling author (The Monk and The Philosopher, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill), and an active participant in scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. He is involved in a number of humanitarian projects in Tibet and Nepal, where he resides. This intimate portrait journeys with Matthieu as he continues the work of his late teacher, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, in the Himalayas, and as he serves as translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Europe and participates in scientific research there. His vivid photography and accessible stories of a monk's life in the Himalayas feature throughout. Filmed on location in Europe, Tibet, India and Nepal, with footage and photographs of Tibet by Matthieu Ricard.
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE RIGDZIN DHARMA CENTER TEMPLE BUILDING FUND
