Friday, November 19, 2010

My Reincarnation: a movie in Florence

Last night I went to a film at the Odeon Cinema. Florence is hosting a 90 day film festival and for a week there will be internationally produced documentaries presented at 5 venues. I saw a film made by American, Jennifer Fox, called "My Reincarnation", a coming of age story of a young man whose father is a Rinpoche of the Dzogchen sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The father had to leave Tibet during the Chinese invasion and came to Italy to live, marry, raise a family and start a Buddhist Center in Tuscany. His son, Yehsin, was believed to be the reincarnation of his dead uncle, and it was hoped that he would return to Tiber to take on his responsibiity. Yeshin wanted none of this as the movie starts. The filmaker followed this family for 20 years and Yeshin finally did come to recognize the calling of the teacher, visited Tibet to be "installed" in his body, and became a teacher like his father.

Dzogchen masters: one's nature is like a mirror which reflects with complete openness but is not affected by the reflections, or like a crystal ball that takes on the colour of the material on which it is placed without itself being changed. In the practice of Dzogchen one is not distracted by thoughts, i.e. one does not let thoughts lead onself. This allows thoughts to naturally self-liberate without avoidance.

2 comments:

Donna said...

I wonder if this is the Tibetan teacher Tsultrim Allione had when she lived in Italy(married to an Italian w/whom she had 3 kids.

Laurie said...

Who's Tsultrim Allione?