Submitted by Pema Duddul on 21 August 2007 - 10:17pm.
The analogy of life as being like a movie, a projection, is often used in Buddha Dharma to describe the nature of our experience. We perceive things according to our perception; we misinterpret what is just a projection as reality, the real deal. Therefore film seems to be a good medium for discussing the nature of mind. As a Buddhist I do not believe in God. However it seems evident that what people call God is many different things depending on the culture and religion of the person speaking.
There seems to be as many ways of thinking about and describing God as there are human beings. Ultimately however it seems there is some very basic understanding of something beyond the ordinary, of something divine, that human beings feel compelled to relate to. We Buddhists call that ‘fundamental goodness’ or ‘the pure nature of mind’. Many of these short films seem to be trying to express that fundamental goodness, and some are happy just to express the fact that our conceptions of God are just that, conceptions, of the ordinary thinking mind, and therefore shift and change as we shift and change.
All of these films should be praised for making the attempt to discuss something that, though core to the heart of many beings, is very difficult to describe or discuss without falling into platitudes and clichés. Bravo to Campfire – may it illuminate our minds and create a space in which interfaith dialogue, which is a real necessity at this time, can occur in a spirit of friendship.
Changing perceptions
The analogy of life as being like a movie, a projection, is often used in Buddha Dharma to describe the nature of our experience. We perceive things according to our perception; we misinterpret what is just a projection as reality, the real deal. Therefore film seems to be a good medium for discussing the nature of mind. As a Buddhist I do not believe in God. However it seems evident that what people call God is many different things depending on the culture and religion of the person speaking.
There seems to be as many ways of thinking about and describing God as there are human beings. Ultimately however it seems there is some very basic understanding of something beyond the ordinary, of something divine, that human beings feel compelled to relate to. We Buddhists call that ‘fundamental goodness’ or ‘the pure nature of mind’. Many of these short films seem to be trying to express that fundamental goodness, and some are happy just to express the fact that our conceptions of God are just that, conceptions, of the ordinary thinking mind, and therefore shift and change as we shift and change.
All of these films should be praised for making the attempt to discuss something that, though core to the heart of many beings, is very difficult to describe or discuss without falling into platitudes and clichés. Bravo to Campfire – may it illuminate our minds and create a space in which interfaith dialogue, which is a real necessity at this time, can occur in a spirit of friendship.