Journey into Buddhism
Season 1
The Acclaimed Yatra Trilogy of John Bush
Yatra is the Sanskrit word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. These visually studding documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java, and Central Tibet. Journey into the living traditions and lost civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures.
The living presence of place is the primary focus of these three lyrical films which are meditations themselves. Their deliberate pacing, unobtrusive narration, indigenous music, and harmonic chants are designed to induce an inner journey while traveling to these legendary places. Viewers are invited to relax and let the experience wash over them, making the trilogy part of their own journey.
Yatra is the Sanskrit word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. These visually studding documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java, and Central Tibet. Journey into the living traditions and lost civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures.
The living presence of place is the primary focus of these three lyrical films which are meditations themselves. Their deliberate pacing, unobtrusive narration, indigenous music, and harmonic chants are designed to induce an inner journey while traveling to these legendary places. Viewers are invited to relax and let the experience wash over them, making the trilogy part of their own journey.
Where to Watch Journey into Buddhism • Season 1
3 Episodes
- Dharma RiverE1
Dharma RiverYatra is the Sanskrit word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. As the first documentary in the Yatra Trilogy, Dharma River is a timeless journey through legendary rivers to the greatest Buddhist temples and mystical sites of Laos, Thailand, and Burma. It offers a direct experience of lost civilizations, sacred spaces, and ancient traditions. The Buddha image reverberates continually through Dharma River and in dozens of temples, caves, and shrines, yet it is never the same. The film's narration explores the different cultural representations of this universal icon of inner peace and its contemporary relevance. Journey into the liver traditions and lost civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures. - Prajna EarthE2
Prajna EarthPrajna is the Sanskrit word for radiant wisdom, and yatra is the word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. This visually stunning second documentary is a cinematic pilgrimage exploring the lost civilization of Angkor in Cambodia, including the largest temple in the world - the magnificent Angkor Wat. The journey continues to sacred sites of the natural world, traveling through Hindu Bali, witnessing trance dancers in the jungles of Java, and discovering the gigantic seven level mandala wonder of Buddhist Borobudur. Prajna Earth visits spiritual intersections where Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions merged with the animist worship of nature, revealing a profound understand of sacred nature existing both in the environment and within all living beings. Journey into the living traditions and lost civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures. Narrated by Sharon Stone. - Vajra Sky Over TibetE3
Vajra Sky Over TibetVajra is the Sanskrit word signifying the thunder-bolt of illumination, and yatra is the word for pilgrimage or spiritual journey. This enthralling third documentary offers a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its endangered Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival. Travel through breathtaking Himalayan terrain, and visit extraordinary temples, monasteries, and festivals. The enduring power of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism resonates in all of its sacred shrines and echoes within the bustling Jokhang Temple and the empty Potala Palace, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Journey into the living traditions of this vanishing civilization and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of this ancient Buddhist culture.