The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life
1994
45 min
Coming soon
This two-part series explores ancient teachings on death and dying. It was filmed over a four-month period on location in the Himalayas where the original text still yields an essential influence over people's views of life and death. A Way of Life contains footage of the rites and liturgies surrounding and following the death of a Ladakhi elder. The Dalai Lama explains his own feelings about death, while other scenes within a palliative care hospice in San Francisco depicts the use of the texts to counsel dying AIDS patients. This film, by revealing ancient teachings on how to think about …
Details
This two-part series explores ancient teachings on death and dying. It was filmed over a four-month period on location in the Himalayas where the original text still yields an essential influence over people's views of life and death. A Way of Life contains footage of the rites and liturgies surrounding and following the death of a Ladakhi elder. The Dalai Lama explains his own feelings about death, while other scenes within a palliative care hospice in San Francisco depicts the use of the texts to counsel dying AIDS patients. This film, by revealing ancient teachings on how to think about death and dying, can be a valuable source of counsel and comfort.
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musicToshiyuki Honda
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cameraHideo Saito
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editorMasaharu YoshiokaJudith MerrittDavid Verrall
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sound effectsMasayuki Onoe
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re-recordingYoshinori KawabataJean-Pierre Joutel
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video FXMasato Iizuka
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project coordinatorToru Hirota
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location coordinatorSonam Norboo
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directorYukari HayashiBarrie McLean
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producerAtsunori KawamuraBarrie McLeanDavid Verrall
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narratorLeonard Cohen
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consultant - narrationDouglas Penick
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video post-productionLouis Girardin
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studio administratorCarrol Smith
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participationDalai LamaRam DassDale Borglum
Education
Ages 15 to 17
Ethics and Religious Culture - Religious Diversity/Heritage
Family Studies/Home Economics - Aging/Death and Dying
Health/Personal Development - Human Growth and Development
Social Studies - Comparative Civilizations
This marvellous film will lead to fascinating talks on a sensitive topic. What is death and how do we prepare for it? How do we view death in the Western world? Ask students to write their own Book of the Dead. What will they include in it? How do we understand the transition between life and death?
