Zen Buddhism: In Search of Self

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Starring: Zen Buddhism-in Search of Self
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Gong Jae-Sung
Studio: Turtle Press
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Description Not Available

Not pretending to be an art movie
...and it is not. Clean shots of what is going on in a Zen monastery. It tends to be repetitive which I guess is alright as a parallel to the monastic life of these nuns.
It feels like a home made movie shot without much detail.
Indoor shots are at very bright artificial light. Feels like the people shooting it were in a hurry to get it done and get out of there.
But then, this is just my opinion...

better than "into great silence"
Into Great Silence at least made the art house circuit. This is a better look at monastic life as a religious phenomenon.

an hour of peace
A beautiful hour-long video documentary of a 90 day retreat for Zen (Cham Sun) Buddhist nuns at 10th century Baek Hung Temple in South Korea. Throughout long meditation periods, the Zen master's discreet encouragements, manual labor, cooking, eating, and more long meditation periods, the camera NEVER intrudes, creating in the viewer a natural sense of being present at retreat. The silence of the film is positively life-giving. The pungent natural winter landscapes outside the monastery remind me of Korean film master Ki-Duk Kim's work. Heartily recommended for practictioners, and surely many people can reap rewards from an effort as honest as this. In Search of Self possesses a spiritual essence not to cajole or intervene, but to leave free and gratified anyone who seeks a film like this for sustenance.

Educational, inspiring
This is a wonderful DVD for Zen practitioners and anyone wondering what a retreat is like at its most disciplined. Filmed at a centuries-old temple in the chill-to-the-marrow winter months in the mountains of Korea, viewers get to see 24 Buddhist monks practice this discipline for 90 days. That's 90 days in a row!

Watching what these people went through makes the pain you experience in your legs after 25 minutes suddenly seem quite insignificant.

Highly recommended.