GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Tomus7 This documentary was quite light on information and expertise - one of the main speakers had a byline that just said 'poet' - but I guess this is meant as a first introduction to Buddhism so that is understandable. On the other hand, the visual background consists of beautiful art and well chosen images that made this an enjoyable watch even if the viewer doesn't learn very much.

evening1 It's the rare documentary that is a therapeutic experience but I felt soothed and comforted by this gentle examination of the life of Buddha, the young Indian prince who abandoned a life of privilege to seek enlightenment. It surprised me to learn that, according to legend, the young prince Siddhartha had a kind of immaculate birth -- springing from his mother's side!Narrated by Tibet advocate Richard Gere and the actress Blair Brown, whom I had not heard about since her "Molly Dodd" days, this film offers all manner of colorful and thoughtful commentary from a variety of monks, scholars, and writers. In one segment, an impressively agile practitioner of yoga -- a means of "harnessing the energies of the body to tame the mind," which can be "as restless as a monkey" -- performs stunning breathing exercises and some impressive physical contortions.The Dalai Lama explains how enlightenment can be the hard work of each one of us, with the Buddha a presence to light our way.In all, this was a tranquil and thought-provoking excursion.

TheExpatriate700 "The Buddha" is an interesting, PBS documentary tracing the life story of the Buddha. It is good for an introduction to Buddhist mythology, but could benefit from a bit more depth.Through the use of animation and interviews with figures such as the Dalai Lama, the documentary explains what Buddhists believe the Buddha went through, and what his significance to them is.The film itself is well done, with some good animation. However, I was left wanting more. It would have been better if they had provided more information about the development of Buddhism after the Buddha's death. Even if they did not have time to discuss all the different schools of Buddhism, it would have been beneficial to have more in depth commentary from representatives of the various schools. Most of the people they talk to seem to be adherents of Tibetan Buddhism, leaving one to wonder what a Zen or Shinto perspective would be.

buggs I found this documentary very instructive. I saw it on PBS, which is very well known for its high quality documentaries. And this one just follows that tradition. Buddhism is a beautiful religion/philosophy and was portrayed in the documentary in a simple and easy to understand manner. The music adequately accompanies the narration and the beautiful animations.The Buddha's story is very touching and reflects the endless quest of humanity for peace. Peace starts with one's self, to be able to reflect it on the outside world.Personnaly, it opened my eyes and heart at life. Will definitely meditate more often now. Highly recommended.