In an attempt to understand the life of one such guru, Neten Chokling Rinpoche sets out with his film “Brillaint Moon: Glimpses of Dilso Khyentse Rinpoche.”[break] He takes the viewer intimately through the life of one of Tibet’s most revered guru – Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Each phase of his life is chronicled in the film with striking details.
He uses rare footages, animation and interviews with the Rinpoche’s associates to present an autobiographical sketch of his life and the interesting times he lived in. Divided into 10 chapters, the film exudes an air of spirituality. It has been narrated by Richard Gere and Lou Reed.
Gere is the background voice of the film and Reed the voice of the Rinpoche himself. The 56-minute documentary-style film begins in the hills of Tibet. Born to the governor of the Derge district, the Rinpoche is named Tashi Beljo (Auspicious Glory). His parents want him to carry on the family business since their two sons are already monks. But his life takes a different course at an early age when his body incurs an accident. Running around the house, he falls into a pot of hot boiling soup. The lower part of his body is burnt. He is bedridden for a long time, and his parents almost lose hope of his life.
They ask him what they can do to help him with his suffering, “It would help I could wear his robe,” is his answer. They are forced to succumb to his desire to lead a life of material reprieve. Miraculously, his health improves and he is given the monastic name “Robsel Dawa” or Brilliant Moon.
True to his name, the Rinpoche (1910-1991) was a fascinating individual. Devoted to learning, and inquisitive by nature, he spent 13 years of his life in the isolated caves of Tibet. The director uses some fine animation to present this phase of his life. His animated self meditates solemnly in the rugged caves of Tibet, writing and studying under the moonlight.
The hermit, clad in a white robe with his long black hair flowing against the chilly wind, practices “tuma,” the magic of making the snow melt in the mouth of the cave which keeps him warm even in severe cold. It is during this time that he masters various Buddhist scriptures and the teachings of Buddhist masters.
Then his life takes a turn as the Chinese invade Tibet in 1959. He is forced to flee to Bhutan where he continues his religious practises there. He soon becomes the teacher of the Bhutanese royal family.
He lived as a refugee in Bhutan and was able to return to Tibet only at the age of 75. After coming home, he worked incessantly for the rebuilding of the monastries destroyed during the Chinese invasion and helped archive thousands of scriptures.
Always in a jolly mood, the Rinpoche’s character makes for some interesting filming. An eager listner, he welcomed everyone who came to pay him a visit, from the rich to the pauper.
His smiling face illuminated a positive charm, and he had the quality to make people feel good about themselves. This is what director Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, a filmmaker and one of his followers, stresses in the film. One can see his words to be true.
Ani Choying Drolma’s recital of hymns and her crooning to soothing tunes, used as a background store, flows with the video shots of the Guru as used by the director. But sometimes the transition between video shots and animation is not smooth.
Yet the director has been sucessful in gathering all the facts of the Buddhist master’s life and narrating it from his birth to rebirth. To understand the Rinpoche, the film is an exclusive delight.
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