Tibetian Budhism: Yogacara and Madhyamika Philosophy (Essay Sample)

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Tibetan Buddhism
Known as Lamaism at times, Tibetan Buddhism is one of the Mahayan Buddhism that was introduced in Tibet during the 7th century. Tibetan Buddhism incorporates Yogacara and Madhyamika philosophy, indigenous shamanistic religion features and the Tantric Symbolic rituals. There are several unique features of the religion with one of them being the system in which the Lamas are reincarnated (Buckley 99). Since its start, it is only now that Tibetan Buddhism is becoming popular in the world.
The concepts about the religion have been incorporated in a number of movies with the popular one being the 1997 film known as the “seven years in Tibet”. The movie’s director Mr. Jean-Jacques Annaud uses it as one of his ways of showing epic tribute to the Tibetan Buddhism and the people of Tibet. The director also uses the movie to reveal to the world the oppression that people in Tibet faced under the Chinese (Buckley 59).
From the movie, one of the things that a viewer can be able to learn about the Tibetan Buddhism is the life of Tibet’s spiritual leader called Dalai Lama. Soon after Brad Pitt acting as Heinrich Harrer manages to escape the prison where he had been held captive for some time, he teams up with Aufshanaiter who leads him into the Tibetan holy city known as Lhasa. The city of Lhasa acted as the home to Dalai Lama. It is while at the city that Heinrich Harrer gets to have a humbling experience through learning more about the people of Tibet and in particular about the Tibetan Buddhism. During his stay at the city, Heinrich Harrer is able to have numerous humbling experiences got from his regular interaction with the seemingly wise Dalai Lama. While at the city, the humble and gentle nature that the people of the place show him makes him change his egotistical ways. However, much of the changes that occur to him is as a result of the close and personal relationship that he develops with Dalai Lama (Buckley 132).
In the movie, one of the aspects that it brings out about the Tibetan Buddhism is its ability to change a person. It is clear that Heinrich Harrer has transformed immensely during his time at the holy city of Lhasa. Prior to coming into the place, Heinrich Harrer had a carefree attitude, something that made him not mind hurting others. However, after seeing the humble life that the Tibetans lived, he started transforming his ways. From the movie, it is clear that Heinrich Harrer is amazed by the level of humbleness and gratitude showed to him by the Tibetan Buddhists. It is from this that he transforms into a loving and genuine person. For a person watching the movie, it is clear that by its end, Heinrich Harrer transforms completely making him hardly recognizable.
From the conversations that occur between Dalai Lama (played by Jamyang Wang Chuck) and Heinrich Harrer, a viewer is able to learn about the problems that the people of Tibet went through in the hands of the Chinese. Wang Chuck tells Heinrich Harrer about how thousand of Chinese soldiers attacked Tibet causing the deaths of thousands of Tibetans in the process. What is more astonishing is that the Tibetan Buddhists do not hold any ill feelings for the Chinese as they have already forgiven them. One of the most important Tibetan Buddhism teachings is that of humility and showing others love, something that is brought up by the concept of forgiveness in the movie (Whalen-Bridge 177).
The other thing a person can be able to learn about the Tibetan Hinduism is the natural abilities and unique character that Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetan Hinduism, possesses. From one of the conversations that he has with Heinrich Harrer, it is clear that he is a selfless person who always puts the interests of others before his. One incident that he portrays his selflessness is when he manages to send his friends away in order to protect them from execution from their enemies. Dalai Lama does not care about whether he would be killed as the only thing on his mind was ensuring that his friends are safe (Whalen-Bridge 209).
The other aspect about Dalai Lama as brought up in the movie is that he is a normal human being who only has a special wisdom. It is imperative to note that there are many times when Heinrich Harrer cracks up several jokes with the Dalai Lama. It is correct to say that that aspect of the movie is brought up in order for the viewers to have a good understanding of the Dalai Lama and learn more about his personality.
By watching the movie, it is easy for a viewer to understand more about the religious and traditional practices of the people of Tibetan Buddhism. The movie appropriately uses astonishing set designs and costumes to portray the unique way of living that Tibetan Buddhists have. From the movie, it is possible to tell that the Tibetan Buddhists have a unique and different way of dressing (Whalen-Bridge 169). The wearing of the lobes helps the Tibetans respect and uphold their religious practices. One of the insinuations that is made in the movie about the attires worn by the Tibetan Buddhists is that it helped them maintain a holy life as wearing these attires reminded them of their responsibilities towards the religion.
People’s notion that Tibetan Buddhists are still attached to their old traditional practices and beliefs is changed in the movie. Heinrich Harrer is given the role of teaching Dalai Lama more about science, Western Culture and geography. Apparently, Heinrich Harrer is not the first person to teach Dalai Lamar about such things as we are made to know that he is the 14th person tuitoring Dalai Lamar. With this information in mind, it is easy to conclude that Dalai Lamar wanted to acquire as much knowledge about current developments in science and western culture in order to pass on this newly acquired knowledge to the Tibetan Buddhists.
The movie also makes it possible for a viewer to learn more about the spiritual nature of the Tibetan Buddhists. In the scene where Heinrich Harrer together with Dalai Lama climbed the mountain, a viewer is taken on a spiritual journey. It is important to note that it is during this scene that a person can be able to learn more about how valuable the Tibetan Buddhists considered the purity of the spirits to be. The Tibetan Buddhists would go on a reflective journey up the mountain in order to attain the most pure spirit. It is from the mountain journey that Heinrich Harrer undertook that he was able to free the bad feelings that he possessed and had acquired during his time in prison....