The Life of Buddha

How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet.

The Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama as 'Kundun', which means 'The Presence'. He was forced to escape from his native home, Tibet, when communist China invaded and enforced an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 and has been living in exile in Dharamsala ever since.

A chance encounter with a stranger changes the life of a college gymnast.

As the denizens of a Tibetan village prepare for their arduous annual trek to exchange salt for grain, the community's allegiances are split between aging chieftain Tinle (Thilen Lhondup) and rebellious young Karma (Gurgon Kyap). Tinle tries to maintain his clout and preserve obedience to ancient customs when Karma challenges the old man's power.

After the death of Lama Dorje, Tibetan Buddhist monks find three children — one American and two Nepalese — who may be the rebirth of their great teacher.

Buddhist monks open up about the joys and challenges of living out the precepts of the Buddha as a full-time vocation. Controversies swirling within modern monastic Buddhism are examined, from celibacy and the role of women to racism and concerns about the environment.

The story of G.I. Gurdjieff an Asian mystic who after a lifetimes study developed a form of meditation incorporating modern dance.

Filmed over twenty years, Tibetan Buddhist Master Choogyal Namkhai Norbu watches as his western-born son, Yeshi, who was recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a famous spiritual master, considers departing from tradition to embrace the modern world.

There is one vibratory field that connects all things. It has been called Akasha, Logos, the primordial OM, the music of the spheres, the Higgs field, dark energy, and a thousand other names throughout history. The vibratory field is at the root of all true spiritual experience and scientific investigation. It is the same field of energy that saints, Buddhas, yogis, mystics, priests, shamans and seers, have observed by looking within themselves. Many of history's monumental thinkers, such a Pythagoras, Kepler, Leonardo DaVinci, Tesla, and Einstein, have come to the threshold of this great mystery. It is the common link between all religions, all sciences, and the link between our inner worlds and our outer worlds.

Bones of the Buddha is a 2013 television documentary produced by Icon Films and commissioned by WNET/THIRTEEN and ARTE France for the National Geographic Channels. It concerns a controversial Buddhist reliquary from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, India. It was released in May, 2013, and was broadcast in July 2013 in the US on PBS as part of the Secrets of the Dead series.

This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.

A young girl in search of spiritual enlightenment joins a religious cult, and becomes the focus of a struggle between her family and the group.

Story of four young monks left alone in their remote monastery in Myanmar. Shot entirely in newly-opened Myanmar with non-actors, the film bridges spirit, cinema, and traditional Burmese storytelling to open a view onto an unseen world.

Robert Eastwood is an innocent, brought up in a world of Born Again Christianity that's taught him to look for signs and to believe evil in waiting just outside the front door. When he goes to school he's shocked to discover that no one else thinks the world was made in 7 days or that Jesus will be returning. Caught between his Mother, who's determined to bring Jesus' love to a dead mining town, and his best friend Marcus who's introduced him to teenage rebellion Robert becomes the centre of a spiritual tug of war as he tries to escape his religious beliefs. It's then that he discovers a dead body in the woods and realises God has sent him a sign. The Devil Outside is a story of everyday madness.

1 Giant Leap is a concept band and media project consisting of the two principal artists, Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman. This is the film part of their first project. The result is a flowing, loose-knit tapestry of imagery, interviews, and diverse performances. Gathering material from 25 countries and dozens of famous and not-so-famous musicians, authors, celebrities, spiritualists, philosophers, and unique individuals from nearly every cultural background, this enveloping DVD is best enjoyed as a soothing audiovisual odyssey (select "loop mode" for continuous play!). Assembling this cornucopia by theme (Time, Inspiration, Sex, God, Death, etc.), Bridgeman and Catto function as co-composers with an astonishing array of collaborators, giving 1 Giant Leap its richly international (and some might say inter-spiritual) identity. The result is a far-reaching glimpse of our world through the eyes of those who improve it by their musical presence. --Jeff Shannon

Reverend Granger is assigned as the Vicar of the rural parish of Dibley, but she is not quite what the villagers expected.

Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2001.

Mrs. Brown's Boys is a British-Irish award winning sitcom created by and starring writer and performer Brendan O'Carroll. The show is based on O'Carroll's stage plays about the character Agnes Browne, which were developed from books and straight-to-DVD films. The sitcom continues the stories of Agnes, now with the shortened surname "Brown", and her family who are played by real life close friends and family of O'Carroll's. After being slated by critics, the show has become a ratings success in both Ireland, where it is set, and the United Kingdom, where it is recorded. On 29 December 2012 the show began its third series. Mrs Brown's Boys is a co-production among BBC Scotland, BocPix and RTÉ.

Ballet Shoes is British television adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's novel Ballet Shoes first broadcast on BBC One in 1975. Adapted by John Wiles and directed by Timothy Combe, the series was aired in six parts on Sunday evenings. It was aired by PBS in the United States on 27 December 1976.

In the quiet corners of the globe, four strangers – a cynical American programmer, an aging Japanese priest, a troubled Arabic mercenary and a mysterious Fijian girl – receive a series of chilling apocalyptic visions. Desperate to understand their frightening visions of the future, these four troubled souls are simultaneously drawn to a dark city in the West where their fates – and the fate of the world – are revealed to be linked together and somehow part of a global conspiracy. Amidst an epic struggle of man, machine and otherworldly fear, these reluctant heroes must be willing to sacrifice everything…in order to know the truth and save us all!

Are we finally a step closer to understanding the great unknown and what it may – or may not – hold? Man has always been curious about what is really out there in the vastness of space, and UFO sightings have been reported for years. Now, with video footage of sightings, radar evidence and eyewitness accounts from around the world, UFOs: The Untold Stories (Tuesdays at 8pm from 13th November) provides an in-depth look at the fascinating and disturbing aspects of encounters with the unexplained.

Every time we switch on a light or boil a kettle we rely on power - but most people don't stop to think about the inventions and discoveries that allow us to live the way we do. In an exciting new four-part series for BBC Two, The Genius of Invention reveals the fascinating chain of events behind inventions that make everyday life possible.

Light at the Edge of the World examines this distressing truth, tracking four indigenous cultures. Humanity may be losing half of its intellectual, social and spiritual legacy in a single generation, as the world loses a reported one language about every two weeks. Light at the Edge of the World examines this distressing truth, tracking four indigenous cultures, each uniquely dedicated to the preservation of their customs in the face of modernization: Inuit, Nepali Buddhist, pan-Andean and Polynesian.

In this new spiritual adventure series, renowned author and religious scholar Reza Aslan immerses himself in the world's most fascinating faith-based groups to experience life as a true believer.

A definitive look at how the new challenges facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could change our world. This investigative series takes an in-depth look at one of the most important international stories of our generation, examining a crucial moment in Saudi Arabia's history - one that could impact the future of the world at large.

When a controversial cult leader builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal.

The series shows how meditation can help in your daily life. From tackling stress to embracing gratitude, each episode first teaches the basics and techniques of the practice, and then concludes with a guided meditation. Push play, close your eyes, and explore the many benefits of meditation.

Alice Levine is stepping out of her comfort zone to embark on a journey of sexual discovery across the UK. Invited into homes all over the country, she will explore what sex means for modern Brits; whether they’re doing it for pure pleasure, for money, or even seeking spiritual enlightenment.

Scientology is the only major religion to emerge in the 20th century. This series takes an unprecedented look behind the scenes into the many fascinating operations of the global Scientology movement. From its stunning 21st-century cathedral in Florida, state-of-the-art publishing houses, one-of-a-kind film and media facilities, see what happens on a typical day at a Church of Scientology, to a race against time to find the technology that will preserve Scientology’s scripture for thousands of years.

The often-hilarious stories of the BBC's first 50 years. The corporation's pioneers describe its evolution – which was often by accident rather than design.