University of Arkansas Tibetan Film Series Presents

DHARMA RIVER

Journey of a Thousand Buddhas

Tuesday November 20, 7:00 pm
Giffels Auditorium, Old Main
Admission is Free and Open to the Public

Yatra 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. 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.

“Dharma River carries us along in the stream of spiritual blessings and delight. This visual feast transports us into the ancient yet timeless mystic East in a way that goes beyond place and time to touch the eternal. Watching DHARMA RIVER is a visual meditation and a contemplative experience. I thoroughly enjoyed making this sacred journey with John Bush and know others will too.”

Lama Surya Das, Author of Awakening the Buddha Within

Click here to view the movie trailer.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION AND Q&A SESSION
Tibetan monks Geshe Thupten Dorjee and Rinzin Dorjee will provide an introductory chant, and will be available to answer questions about the film and about their lives in exile following the screening.

UPCOMING FILMS IN THE TIBETAN FILM SERIES
Feb 20: Wheel of Time
Mar 27: Tibetan Book of the Dead

On Monday, November 12, at 7pm in Giffels Auditorium, a presentation will be given on “The Uniqueness of Tibetan Astro-Medicine.” The presentation is free and open to the public.  The presentation will address tantric practices and include consideration of the chakras, the administration of medical training, and how the medical practice relates to Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy generally

The presenter is Jhampa Kalsang, Ph.D.  Dr. Kalsang graduated in 1989 from the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of H.H. the Dalai Lama, in Dharamsala, India. He completed a full course of study and six years of training in Tibetan studies with an emphasis on traditional Tibetan astronomy, astrology, medical astrology and Buddhist philosophy. He has been on the staff of Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute and was one of their senior lecturers.

Kalsang will be available after the lecture for question and answer, and then for practicing Tibetan astrology.

If you would like to schedule a one-on-one reading, call much earlier to 619-733-5282.  Personal readings are $130.  The lecture will be of interest to many fields, including those in the medical field, philosophy, astrology, and more.  The event is sponsored by Students for a Free Tibet.

Rinzin and Geshe la will be doing a sand mandala at the The Jones Center for Families in Springdale, Arkansas.  The opening ceremony was held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, and the closing ceremony will be two weeks later on November 14 at 7:00 p.m.  We will have an offering table, and you are welcome to stop by and visit during the day.  Rinzin will always be there Monday through Friday in the mornings from 9-11, and in the afternoons from 2-4, as well as other times too.  We will also have a smaller public mandala, and Geshe la will be instructing all ages on how to practice this ancient art form.  Bring your children and their friends, and stop by and try your hand!  Again, since Geshe la will be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the University, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are your best bet to find him at the public mandala.

Weekend Schedule November 3-4
On Saturday, November 3, Rinzin will be working from 8-12 a.m., and on Sunday, November 4, from 1-5 p.m.  Please visit, bring your friends, and any kind of offering you might want to leave for him (fruit, flowers, monetary donations, anything to show him our appreciation for his wonderful work on our behalf.)  Next weekend’s schedule will depend on the progress made during the coming week, but we will post updates here.  Although you’d never know it from watching Rinzin work, the process of making a mandala is a grueling one, mentally and physically, and as the weeks progress, the strain on the body and the mind grows exponentially.  So keep Rinzin in your thoughts over the next couple of weeks, and pay him a visit if you can.  Hope to see you at The Jones Center!

The Jones Center for Families is easy to find.  It’s located at 922 E Emma Avenue in Springdale.