Part I: The Dalai Lama, the Monasteries and the People
Filmed in the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, India, and in the rebuilt Sera Monastery, the second largest monastery of the old Tibet, the opening part of the Trilogy observes the Dalai Lama in his dual role as head of state and spiritual teacher. The film interweaves this personal portrait with an intimately observed exploration of the ways in which the inner knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist culture is developed in the monasteries through vigorous debate and solitary meditation, and communicated to the lay community.

Part II: Radiating the Fruit of Truth
Part II journeys deep into the mystical inner world of monastic life. Set in the ancient village of Boudha, Nepal, and the isolated mountain caves of the yogis, the film follows the lamas of the Phulwary Sakya Monastery through their contemplative retreats, the building of an intricate cosmogram, and the performance of an ancient protective ritual invocation of the female deity Tara known as “A Beautiful Ornament.” With a commentary based on the teachings of the great 20th century master Dudjom Rinpoche, the essence of tantric Buddhism is powerfully revealed.

Part III: The Fields of the Senses
Set in the majestic mountain landscape of Ladakh, Part III is a meditation on impermanence and the relationship between the mind, body and environment. It follows monks and farmers through a day, ending with an unflinching depiction of a monastery's moving ritual response to a death in the community. As in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the departed is guided through the dream-like intermediate state between death and birth.

Tibet: A Buddhist Trilogy, An Epic Journey into the Heart of a Hidden World, DVD, Oct . 2006, $29.95