Samsara
Sonam...
Oh no, not again!
How long?
Three years, three months, three weeks and three days.
Tashi, we are taking you back.
Tashi, it is time.
Tashi, you pushed it too far.
''How can one prevent a drop of water from ever drying up?''
Apo is back...
Kala!
Now, l must leave.
Safe return!
No. l want to go home!
Tashi, did you cry when,
...you father left you here?
The head lama, His holiness Chen Tulku
...will be performing a sacred initiation in five days.
He asks that you attend.
So prince Siddhartha left his palace
and luxurious life...
...and from his golden chariot...
saw suffering for the first time!
Thus one night, prince Siddhartha decided...
...to leave his beautiful wife, Princess Yashodhara...
and his son, Rahul, and go away.
He left his son?
Well, yes.
Because he wanted to find out true cause of our suffering and...
l want to go home!
Tashi, Rinpochey is here!
After twenty years studying in our monastery...
...Lama Tashi completed three years of meditation,
Truly this is the path towards Nirvana.
His Holiness, Dhyan Rinpochey...
has therefore awarded Lama Tashi the precious 'Khenpo' degree...
in recognition of his achievement.
He is a very good monk!
Kala, you monkey!
Tashi... You spoke!
lt was him.
Kala...hear my voice, what?
Rinpochey, thank you. For Tashi...
Precious degree of Khenpo.
For Kala... nothing.
Jhulley! Tashi Delek!
Hail! Hail! Hail!
... to four noble truths!
-Who? -Tashi.
Faster, faster, faster...
Can you explain what's going on?
Apo, l ask that you take Lama Tashi with you tomorrow
for the harvest ceremony.
l feel he is in need of some fresh air.
Tashi, next time you wish to modify a performance...
...please let me know in advance.
Where is Tenzin Thorgay's house?
Right There.
Come, l will take you there.
Tashi Delek, jhulley, welcome.
Oh Apo...
My head...
Last night l have...
Yes, l know.
Dreams are like that!
So Tashi still dreams?
You see, even you can be angry.
Here, the map. You leave at dawn.
lt is time to choose.
Kala!
What is it with you today?!
Kala... when did you learn to read maps?!
Jhulley, Tashi Delek!
The venerable Khenpo Apo sent me...
No speech?
Understood, only body and mind!
''Everything you contact is a place to practice the Way''
Where's Apo?
Even He was allowed a worldly existence until he was 29!
But since the age of five l've been...
...disciplined to live like Buddha after He renounced the world.
Why?
How do we know that His Enlightenment...
...was not a direct result of His worldly existence, too?
Apo, where is that freedom promised to me...
...after a strict monastic discipline?
Where is the promised satisfaction,
from our vow of celibacy?
''You should not accept my teachings on hearsay...
...unless and until you understand it...
...from your own point of view'' he said once.
There are things we must unlearn...
...in order to learn them.
And there are things we must own...
...in order to renounce them.
Tashi...
Your dream back in the village wasn't a dream.
But...
Kala?
Kala.
Kala! lt's me!
Kala!
Kala.
For the rest we talk tomorrow.
Dolma, we have another mouth to feed.
A nomad.
l told him he could work until the harvest was done.
lt will reduce some of my work.
And of course...
...increase mine!
Sujata, here.
Oh mother, some more.
Pema.
Take some food over to that new hardworking guy.
Tell him he can even stop to eat it!
Enough, father!
Hey Mister! Take a little rest,
make a little break for lun...
Pema!
Pema... wait!
Do not tell me that you did this for me...
No, l did it for myself as well.
But why? l am sorry if this is my fault,
Shhh... Pema please.
Maybe l was wrong to do that but l...
All l wanted to do was comfort you for a moment.
And look now.
Are you sure that it was all about a momentary comfort?
lf you are, then l will be gone ... before the sun rises.
From now on you will go out wearing this!
Roaming here and there!
l gave you a job and this is how you repay me?
You worthless...
Oh, it's you!? Forgive my violence!
No, no.
Why are you asking for forgiveness?
He WAS A LAMA!
Pema, what are we going to do?
Your family has already accepted my engagement with you.
l know. Should l wash your hair?
l have nothing else but you.
Astrologer will be here tomorrow.
l let him decide my destiny.
Pema, but why the Astrologer?
Planets indicate 1 0th would be an auspicious date for the wedding.
So fix it for that day.
That's good. l am sorry.
But... the wedding is with whom?
With whom? l think it was all decided last night!
Jamayang came to see me and requested to come here...
...and decide the wedding date of Pema and Tashi.
Why? Why did you do it?
Jamayang?
Even if the decision was in my favor...
you wouldn't have married me, anyway! Would you?
Woman will dominate!
Hey, stop, eat now!
Cry when l tell you.
Something is wrong.
-Who is he? -My husband.
What's going on?
After all the years we've worked together.
Tenzin, you allow him to doubt me?
Now you can cry, my son.
You better start building a new granary.
You're going to be needing a lot of storage space from now on.
Tashi, l feel we are satisfied in what we get.
Besides, you HAVE to sell it to him.
No one else comes to this valley!
Let me take our harvest to town!
l'll sell it all.
We'll teach Dawa a lesson!
And what makes you think,
those city guys will buy from us?
What is that?
For a safe journey.
One man, five Rupees.
Two men, ten Rupees.
You see, even notes don't fit in your purse!
Wow, incredible!
More than twice of what Dawa pays!
Tashi, you are too much!
Guess what?
Now the bank-notes fit into my purse!
Your father has also gone with Tashi!
l know.
You don't understand! Why change traditional practice?
Dawa buys everyone's crops for years!
lt is dangerous to oppose him.
Jamayang. Fetch my mother!
Go, go...
Now who would this be?
lt's me!
So it seems you've been to town?
We've been working.
l can see that. Hiding your grain?
That's easy.
Hiding from me, that's harder.
You better remember that.
Besides, what did l tell you?
He's ruining the whole valley!
Look at you!
'Salley!'
lt's Pema! The baby's coming!
No! Women only!
l see! A great soul is already reborn here!
What a beautiful boy.
A great spirit has surely returned!
Maybe, you're a Tulku, Karma?
So it's settled?
The next is Sujata. Where...
No! Keep all my money!
Just keep passing it on to me!
Pema knows what to do.
She always pays me the day we leave.
And how long has that been?
l am nineteen.
Figure out the rest!
Your money!
l wish you a safe return.
See you next year!
Karma, that's very good.
This wool is so heavy!
Oh, you're still carrying it!
-What's inside the momos, Apa? -Meat.
-Where does the meat come from? -From a goat.
Did you have to kill the goat to take its meat?
Yes.
But mother says...
...we shouldn't kill any creature, not even an insect!
We didn't kill the goat. Someone did it for us.
Why someone else?
Why didn't we kill the goat ourselves, Apa?
Less talking and more eating, Karma.
Stop! Wear something warm.
-Let him go. -But, it is freezing outside!
Let him find that out. No over-protection!
lt is freezing!
So you see, it lS freezing outside!
ls everything all right?
lt's just the ...migrant workers.
Maybe we don't need so many.
l sometimes wonder if we need them at all.
They cost so much money!
l want you to tell me what will happen to that stick.
lt will drown!
Suppose it doesn't.
lt will get stuck in the rocks!
Suppose it doesn't get stuck?
We don't really need all these workers?
What is it you suddenly have against our poor workers?
lt will stay in the water and rot!
No.
lt will get stuck in the whirlpool...
...or it can go down with a waterfall and crash!
Suppose even that doesn't happen.
What then?
Do you give up?
The answer's simple.
The stick will reach the sea!
Jamayang, congratulations.
l heard, you are soon going to be married.
By the way...
...we're taking our harvest into town.
Don't you think it's time you joined us?
l sell only to Dawa, like l always have.
Like my father did.
But you know Dawa cheats you.
After all these years...
...you still don't know how things work here, do you!
We are back! And look!
Apa! What did you do when you were a boy?
He always made his own toys!
Jamayang...
Please, you don't need him any more!
Hey stop!
l don't even know why l bother with this valley.
Jamayang, let him go. Listen...
And prepare yourselves to eat all what you grow!
You can sell in the town with us.
You chased him away.
Everything you touch, you ruin!
Dawa!
Jamayang is hot-headed.
He will calm down once he is married.
Let him go his own way.
Ama?
Karma, stay outside please!
Karma, you can come in.
What's the matter with him?
l told you we shouldn't make love in front of him!
Help!
Apa says we saved over half the crop!
Everyone came to help us.
The whole valley.
lt's you, isn't it?
Why would l do a thing like that? You're insane.
lt wasn't me.
Then who, who?
Try! Take a guess!
You fool, why don't you try asking your neighbours.
You think l burnt your field?
No one does such a thing here. Grow up!
And you guys, thank you for joining us.
Now why don't you stay for dinner too!
'Salley!'
Are you sure you're old enough,
...to do business in town?
l'm a man now!
For a safe journey.
ls Pema in?
We leave...
... my money?
Okay.
How old are you?
You ask me that every year!
Careful, it is fragile.
-l hear something! -Don't move!
- ...someone... -Oh!
Hurry! Pema's coming!
My Sari, you tore it!
You must leave now.
Hurry! Leave.
What are you still doing here? Pema's here.
Keep calm.
Why you're so worried.
She told me this would happen!
Look Apa, a pony just like yours!
l made it myself!
That's good.
This is for you.
Very nice. Thanks.
Aren't you going to...
Later, l have some work.
... try it on?
Tashi!
Sonam!
lt's about Apo?
When Apo knew it was time...
...he went to prepare himself in the sacred cave.
He asked that l accompany him.
We both meditated together until ...
He asked that l give you this.
l realize now that my task is not over...
...and so l will be returning to Samsara.
l know that we shall meet again.
Perhaps when we do...
...you will be able to tell me what is more important:-
Satisfying one thousand desires
... or conquering just one.
Yours Apo.
l've heard so much about wild-weddings in your region!
And for your marriage, l should be there...
...but you know l can't leave the farm.
lt feels so strange knowing...
...l won't be coming back.
Look after yourself.
Yashodhara.
Do you know that name?
Prince Siddhartha, Gautama,
Sakyamuni, Buddha.
Everybody knows these names...
... but...
... Yashodhara?
Yashodhara was married to Siddhartha.
She loved him dearly.
One night Siddhartha left her
and their son, Rahul ...
... while they were sleeping, to seek Enlightenment...
... to become Buddha.
He did not even say a word to her when he left.
Yashodhara has shown compassion for the sick
... and ailing long before Siddhartha ever did...
... long before Siddhartha was even aware of suffering!
Who can say if he owed his Enlightenment to her?
Pema ...
Perhaps Yashodhara wanted
to leave Siddhartha and Rahul.
How can we ever know if Yashodhara
fell victim to anger ...
... to loneliness or bitterness...
... after Siddhartha left her.
Who even thought about her?
What must she have said when Rahul, her son...
...asked that eternal question: Where is my father?
What must she have told him?
How could a mother leave her own child in the middle of the night?
lt is only possible for a man to do.
Tashi, only for a man.
After that, Yashodhara had no choice.
She had to lead a life of renunciation.
She cut off her hair ...
... and lived like an ascetic.
Oh Tashi ...
lf your thoughts toward Dharma were of the same intensity ...
... as the love and passion you have shown me...
... you would have become a Buddha ...
... in this very body ...
... in this very life.
Pema ...
Forgive me.
l am going back with you. Back where l belong.
''How can one prevent a drop of water from ever drying up?''
By throwing it into the sea ...
The End