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BuddhaFest
June 20-23
At Artisphere in Rosslyn
Arlington, VA
Wisdom, practical life lessons and sacred music
From a diverse group of films, speakers, and musicians
Also featuring Tibet Fest: food, music, dance & dharma
Here's a look at our films & talks lineup:
ONE TRACK HEART:
THE STORY OF KRISHNA DAS
Thursday, June 20 7pm
Director Jeremy Frindel introduces our Opening Night film
Kirtan artist and Krishna Das friend Gaura Vani closes out the evening with a musical performance
"I think of Krishna Das as someone who can convey emotion and belief, and spirit, with his voice...and that makes it very powerful." Rick Rubin
"Most singers are singing to the audience. He wants to sing only to Maharaji, and the audience listens in to this tremendous love affair. " Ram Dass
In 1970, Jeffrey Kagel walked away from the American dream of rock 'n' roll stardom, turning down the chance to record as lead singer for the band soon-to-be the Blue Oyster Cult. Instead, he sold all his possessions and moved from the suburbs of Long Island to the foothills of the Himalayas in search of happiness and a little-known saint named Neem Karoli Baba.
ONE TRACK HEART: THE STORY OF KRISHNA DAS follows his journey to India and back, witnessing his struggles with depression and drug abuse, to his eventual emergence as Krishna Das, world-renowned spiritual teacher and Grammy nominated chant master. Featuring interviews with Ram Dass (LSD icon Richard Alpert), Rick Rubin (Grammy Award winning producer), Sharon Salzberg (NY Times bestselling author), Daniel Goleman (two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee), and many others.
WATCH THE TRAILER
THE HIGHEST PASS
Friday, June 21 9pm
Director Adam Schomer and Anand Mehrotra, who stars in the film, take questions from the audience after the screening
"The Highest Pass is within us. This journey is to realize that."
- Anand Mehrotra, Sattva Yoga guru
Soon after Adam Schomer meets a modern yogi and guru, Anand Mehrotra, they plan an expedition through the highest passes of the Himalayas in Northern India. These are some of the most dangerous roads in the world, yet they manage to assemble a team of seven motorcycle riders to share in what will become the journey of a lifetime. These riders and Adam, who learned to ride two weeks before the trip, are guided by the inspiring teachings of Anand, who bears the burden of a Vedic prophecy that predicts he will die in his late twenties in an accident. He is that age now, yet leads with a fearlessness and wisdom that reminds us that, "Only the one who dies, truly lives."
But wisdom in words and wisdom in practice can be very different indeed, especially when riding along the sheer icy edges of Himalayan cliffs. The bikers ride on that edge, navigating dirt, gravel, snow, ice, and the onslaught of loaded trucks, known as "road killers", as they journey for 21 days towards the highest driveable road on earth. It is a pass open only three months a year, and at a height 18,000 feet, is on par with Everest base camp. Low oxygen, altitude sickness, river flooded roads, and a constrictive fear all live along this one lane road.
Yet they choose this path to seek Ladakh, the land known as the Little Tibet. Why this path? Because it's a road that leads to incredibly isolated mountain lakes, ancient monasteries, inside the knowing eyes of a mystic oracle, and ultimately deeper into themselves... It's amazing that their guide himself is battling a prophecy and yet is determined to ride one of the hardest roads in the world. It is both haunting and inspiring. It brings up our worst fears and our deepest courage. Adam must ask if the possibility of a spiritual breakthrough is worth the risk of serious injury or death. Will it help us all understand what it means to live our lives?
This adventure cracks the foundations we think we stand on. And in this case, the foundation is a one lane road winding through the Himalayas. The Highest Pass brings ancient wisdom to a modern world.
WATCH THE TRAILER
DIGITAL DHARMA: ONE MAN'S MISSION TO SAVE A CULTURE
Saturday, June 22 2:15 pm
Director Dafna Yachin takes questions from the audience after the screening
Digital Dharma uncovers E. Gene Smith's 50-year journey with renowned scholars, lamas and laypeople, as they struggle to find, preserve and digitize more than 20,000 volumes of ancient Tibetan text. Crossing multiple borders - geographic, political and philosophical - Digital Dharma is an epic story of a cultural rescue, revealing how one man's mission became the catalyst for an international movement to provide free access to the story of a people.
In 1959, Tibetan villages were attacked and hundreds of monasteries were destroyed, causing irreplaceable ancient Sanskrit and Tibetan writings to disappear. This tumultuous time put the history of the entire Tibetan culture in peril - and called a man from Ogden, Utah to his destiny.
E. Gene Smith became the unlikely leader in an effort to rescue, preserve and share the riches of a 1,500-year-old seemingly lost Tibetan literary culture. Smith's mission crossed geographical, political and philosophical borders to rescue this chronicle of mankind's advancements - from the medical to the mystical.
With Buddhist thought at its core, his goal was to digitize the more than 20,000 volumes he rescued in order to provide free access to the story of a people. With technological advancement speeding forward, Smith's vision was to make these texts accessible to everyone, even in the most remote monasteries and villages, and to preserve the knowledge they contain for humanity. His inspiring and undaunting efforts have become a gift to the world.
WATCH THE TRAILER
THIS DEWDROP WORLD
Sunday, June 23 4 pm
Director Elizabeth Thompson and Lou Leonard, director of the Climate Change Program at the World Wildlife Fund, join us after the screening to reflect on the film's themes of personal and planetary loss.
This Dewdrop World is a lyrical essay documentary that interweaves two unfolding stories -- a dying mother and an unraveling planet. It illuminates the poetic resonance between the fleeting, dewdrop nature of a single life, and a parallel, though largely unseen, story of planetary loss. Ultimately, This Dewdrop World points to the way loss can awaken us to the beauty in front of us, and reanimate our engagement with it, even when we long for things to be different, and even when our efforts seem like a drop in the ocean.
"This Dewdrop World is a beautiful, courageous, intimate film about love and loss. It may also be the deepest meditation on climate change that I've ever seen."
- Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone
AN UNCOMMON KING
Sunday, June 23 1:15 pm
Director Johanna Lunn takes questions from the audience after the screening
"We are being brought up in a culture that is saying, 'You're selfish, and that's human nature.' If humanity does not look inward and feel their basic goodness, then the future is very bleak indeed."
Those are the words of Mipham Rinpoche, a Tibetan spiritual king in the Shambhala tradition who seeks to end aggression in the world. He is a Sakyong, or an "Earth Protector," part of an ancient lineage of wisdom holders.
Although raised in a Tibetan refugee camp in India, he came of age in North America, just as Buddhism was taking root in the 1970's. His father, renowned Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, trained him to follow in his footsteps. His father was charismatic, controversial and widely respected. Not an easy act to follow.
After his father passed away, Mipham Rinpoche was empowered as Sakyong in a formal ceremony that committed him to the path of a spiritual king. His father laid the ground by introducing the Shambhala teachings in the West, now it is up to the new Sakyong to further explain these teachings and carry on the work.
Shot over 17 years in Tibet, India, China, Europe and North America, An Uncommon King follows the life of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche as he endeavors to shift our culture towards feeling its humanity, and towards validating feelings of compassion, kindness and goodness.
WATCH THE TRAILER
RAW FAITH
Sunday, June 23 7 pm
Closing Night film. Rev. Marilyn Sewell from the film introduces the screening. Afterwards, she shares insights from a remarkable two-year spiritual journey, during which she questioned her future, her difficult past, her God, and most importantly, her ability to love. The evening closes with a beautiful musical performance by Ambika Cooper and Jeremy Frindel.
Raw Faith is an intimate and revealing documentary that follows two years in the private life of Marilyn Sewell, an outspoken and socially progressive Unitarian Universalist minister who has re-energized her Portland, Oregon community.
While serving a community that relies on her for wisdom and advice (on both personal and ethical issues), Marilyn struggles quietly with decisions about her own future. As she seeks to reconcile the commitments of her profession with a longing for intimacy and love, childhood memories of mental illness and alcoholism come back to the surface - and must be dealt with before she can move forward.
As Marilyn's life unfolds in front of the camera (in real time), she shares her journey with remarkable candor, humor and increasing wisdom, ultimately leading her to an unexpected revelation of faith and love in all of its guises.
The soundtrack features an original song written and performed by Sheryl Crow.
"...it's refreshing to see a documentary about a normal grown-up who is struggling with problems of life and love, just as so many invisible others do." - The New York Times
WATCH THE TRAILER
TALKS
Venerable Pannavati Bhikkhuni and Ruth King
What could be better than sitting with a teacher you love -- how about sitting with two of them? Ruth King was a favorite with the BuddhaFest audience in 2011. Last year, the Ven. Pannavati Bhikkhuni was electrifying. Both women teach with a delightful sense of humor, grace and power. We've asked them to join forces and give us a joint teaching that aligns with the energy and message of THE HIGHEST PASS, the film that follows their talk.
Fierce Compassion & Daring Hearts
Friday, June 21 7pm - 8:30pm
We admire those who are fearless. But, what does it take to be fearless, and how is fearlessness cultivated? What is it that enables one to walk through life as a free person, and what responsibility does this carry? Join Ven. Pannavati Bhikkhuni and Ruth King as they share their wisdom, wit, laughter and advice on how to live on the razor's edge.
Whether advocating for the disempowered, the divided, or the broken-hearted, these accomplished dharma teachers have devoted their lives to healing and humanity by serving in ways that require a fierce and daring heart. Experience your own journey as they share the cultural maps, surprise turns, stop signs, alternate routes, speed limits, and karmic tickets that led to a destination of presence, heart, and service.
Tap into the strength of these two accomplished Dharma sisters and find your own courage. Discover how any path can be a path of awakening and compassionate power if one is willing to face the dare.
Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg
The Buddha discovered that the path to happiness flowed out of understanding the reality of our lives, such as our interconnection with all other beings. From this state, love and compassion arise naturally. This is why Robert Thurman calls Buddhism "a joyous science of the heart."
Buddhism: A Joyous Science of Kindness and Wisdom
Saturday, June 22 10am - 12pm
Meditation and respect for life are the foundations of Buddhist practice. "Kindness is compassion in action," says Sharon. To know your mind is to begin to transform your mind. To change your actions is to begin to transform the world.
Robert and Sharon will draw from Buddhist texts and traditions and from their personal insights and experiences to help us awaken from the daily trance of fear and anxiety. Through guided meditations, talks and discussions, we will learn specific techniques to cultivate lovingkindness, unveil inner wisdom, and turn compassion into action.
Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan
In order to have compassion for others, we have to have compassion for ourselves. Tonglen is a powerful and liberating practice where we breathe in the pain and suffering of others and breathe out relief and happiness. It is a method for overcoming our fear of the suffering that is all around us by connecting with it and purifying it. Ultimately, Tonglen is a method for awakening the compassion that is inherent in all of us.
Awakening Our Compassion: The Heart Practice of Tonglen
Saturday, June 22 1pm - 2pm
Rinpoche heads the monastery of the Panchen Lama, which has been reestablished in exile in India. Please join Rinpoche for a five-point teaching on Tonglen from the Nalanda tradition of Shantideva. Rinpoche will be accompanied by translator and scholar, David Gardner. The teaching will discuss:
- Cultivating Equanimity
- Recognizing the Faults of self-cherishing
- Understanding the Benefits of cherishing others
- Learning how to switch self and other
- Practicing Tonglen based on compassion and love: taking in others' pain, giving out peace and happiness.
The teaching will end with a Tonglen meditation.
Anand Mehrotra
"The times we are living in require a warrior consciousness. A warrior is not one who is violent, or ready to take up weapons. The only warrior worth calling a warrior is a being who has come to a deep state of nonviolence in his or her psyche -- a warrior of wisdom."
Warriors of Wisdom: Awakening to Authentic Power
Sunday, June 23 10am - 11am
To even arrive at that space requires a fierce presence, a deep commitment, because the temptations of inner violence and external violence are aplenty: defenses and escape mechanisms, misjudgments and stories, seeking and striving. To be a warrior is to cultivate a deep sense of detachment, and to know oneself without identifications or external definitions.
It is through this detachment that we realize we are not individuals separate from the whole, but that the whole cosmos is working through us. By tuning into this universal flow of energy, we arrive at authentic power. This deep connection yields limitless energy, immense passion, and the gateway to radical aliveness. Then life is not coming at us; we, with the whole cosmos, are coming to life.
Join Anand Mehrotra, Founder and Master Teacher of Sattva Yoga, as he leads a meditation and explores living with fierce clarity as a warrior of wisdom.
Don Miguel Ruiz, Jr.
To transform your life into a living work of art, you start by becoming aware of your attachments and choosing to let go with awareness. But, before we can let go of our own attachments, we must first become aware to what level we have invested our sense of self in each one of our beliefs. By decoding the levels of attachment, we are able to find clarity, letting go of those beliefs and ideas that distort our reality.
The Five Levels of Attachment: Toltec Wisdom for the Modern World
Sunday, June 23 11:15am - 12:15pm
There will be a book signing following the talk.
Don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. shares the Toltec Oral Tradition that was handed down to him from his teachers -- his grandmother, Madre Sarita, and his father, Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. Twenty four years after he started his apprenticeship, Don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. has used their teachings to find peace with himself through a personal journey that turned him from a young apprentice into a Nagual. With his family's teachings, coupled with his own unique experiences, Don Miguel, Jr. now helps others find their own personal freedom.
Marianne Elliott
"Doing good, creating change and being well takes clarity, courage & compassion. We're all capable of great things when we find our own authentic and unique place in the world. We all have a role to play in bringing about a kinder, safer world."
Zen Under Fire: Finding Peace in the Midst of War
Sunday, June 23 3pm - 4pm
There will be a book signing following the talk.
Writer, yoga teacher, Zen peacekeeper and change-maker Marianne Elliott is a human rights lawyer from New Zealand. In 2006, she was stationed with the United Nations in Herat, Afghanistan. Several months into her new role as head of the local UN office, an area tribal leader was assassinated. She was called upon to try to defuse the situation before it led to widespread bloodshed. This is just the beginning of Marianne's powerful story in Afghanistan.
In her talk, she gives a vivid account of her experience living and working in the world's most notorious battlefield. As well as sharing the incredible details of her UN role, Marianne tells the very personal story of the shattering effect that the high-stress environment had on her and her relationships, and she asks what it really means to do good in a country that is under siege from within.
Marianne shares what she's learned about cultivating courage in the face of fear. She discusses the many complexities involved in "doing good," and she shares the important lessons she's learned about the difference between "changing the world" and "being of service."
New This Year!
Tibet Fest
Saturday, June 22, 3pm - 7:30pm
Artisphere Ballroom
Tibet Fest is a family friendly event inspired by Tibetan Buddhist culture and the global concern for its survival inside Tibet. Experience and explore the rich traditions of Tibet through an afternoon of activities for the whole family -- from making prayer flags, to sending His Holiness the Dalai Lama a birthday card. There will also be a Tibetan market so you can take home a piece of Tibetan culture.
The afternoon will include guest speakers and meditation. Come hang out with us and share in the dance, food, music and spirit of Tibetan culture.
Free admission for children 12 and under.
Presented in partnership with International Campaign for Tibet and Capital Area Tibetan Association
An Evening of Sacred Music:
The GuruGanesha Band in Concert
Saturday, June 22, 8pm
Spectrum Theatre
The GuruGanesha Band delivers a unique blend of kirtan, raga, rock and deeply meditative folk music. Their vocals are a group effort, with plenty of rich two and three part harmonies, plus knockout lead vocals by Paloma Devi, who will blow you away with her powerful voice and soulful presence. We've seen their shows twice now, and we just loved them.
The audience is fully encouraged to participate, whether singing along, dancing joyfully in the aisles, or simply sitting in meditative resonance with the music. Come share a magical evening that will transport you into higher realms. This is going to be a real treat!
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