The University Buddhist Association of UCLA is an organization of students, faculty, and community members who come together to learn about and practice Buddhism. We're a non-sectarian Buddhist group that welcomes all Buddhists and non-Buddhist of all faiths and traditions.
If you're interested in learning more about the UCLA Buddhist community, please come to our meetings.
When: Every Tuesday, 5:30 - 7:00pm Where: University Catholic Center 633 Gayley Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024
From Nov. 16-20, UCLA will be celebrating International Education Week. There will be many different events happening throughout the week that help promote worldwide educational exchange. The best part is that they even have two Buddhist-related events happening! Here are some of the events I would like to highlight:
The Worst Horse posts a new Buddhist horror film called Mantra.
I've been getting into horror films lately with my fellow apartment-mates and never have I thought about a Buddhist-themed horror film. I guess anything can be scary as long as you target the right emotions.
USC, Taper Hall 202 Los Angeles, CA 90089 Free and open to the public Refreshments will be served Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM Please RSVP: uschina@usc.eduuschina@usc.edu>
Filmmaker Frederick Marx, producer of Academy Award nominated "Hoop Dreams," will be premiering a rough cut of his new film.
This screening features an advance preview of Journey to Zanskar. The film will be completed and released in the fall. It focuses on Zanskar, in the northernmost part of India, one of the most isolated regions of the Himalayas. Inaccessibility and isolation has protected Zanskar - also known as "Little Tibet" - from cultural change. Today, it is considered the last place on earth where traditional Tibetan Buddhist norms and ways of life still exist. This will change when the Indian government completes a modern paved road into Zanskar to provide its military with access to India's fragile borders with Pakistan and China.
Several years ago the Dalai Lama asked two senior monks upon the completion of their training to devote themselves to educating the children of Zanskar so their rich cultural heritage could be preserved through reading and writing. The two monks selected 17 of the brightest children from among the poorest families and began a ten day trek over the snow covered Himalayas from Zanskar to a school on the other side of the mountains. The children's journey is the focus of the film.
Marx will introduce the film and take questions after the screening.
Parking is available for $8 in Parking Structure D (on Jefferson Boulevard, west of Figueroa Boulevard). Click here to see the USC University Park Campus interactive map <http://web-app.usc.edu/maps/> .
"A roller coaster of alternating hope and despair" - Village Voice
"A rich, thought-provoking film" - The New York Times"
The award-winning new documentary film "Burma VJ" will be screening in Los Angeles at Laemmle Sunset 5 on May 29 (exact times not yet announced; call the theater for info. closer to the date: 323-848-3500)
LA88 is encouraging all who are able to attend to show their solidarity with the people of Burma by joining us for the May 29 showing. Please also help to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in Burma and the heroism of its people by inviting others to attend this important screening. The filmmakers describe the movie in part as follows:
"...Though risking torture and life in jail, courageous young citizens of Burma live the essence of journalism as they insist on keeping up the flow of news from their closed country. The Burma VJs stop at nothing to make their reportages from the streets of Rangoon... The film offers a unique insight into high-risk journalism and dissidence in a police state, while at the same time providing a thorough documentation of the historical and dramatic days of September 2007, when the Buddhist monks started marching."
20-May – New York, NY – Film Forum 29-May – Los Angeles, CA – Laemmle Sunset 5 05-Jun – Irvine, CA – Regal Westpark 05-Jun – Portland, OR – Regal Fox Tower 19-Jun – Charlotte, NC – Regal Park Terrace 19-Jun – Boston, MA – Coolidge 24-Jun – Portland, ME – SPACE Gallery 26-Jun – Tallahassee, FL – Regal Miracle 5 26-Jun – Austin, TX – Regal Arbor 19-Jul – Santa Fe, NM – CCA 24-Jul – Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Museum of Art 31-Jul – Washington, DC – Landmark E-Street 07-Aug – Salt Lake City, UT – Tower 28-Aug – Seattle, WA – NW Film Forum
London will be hosting the first Buddhist arts/cultural festival called "The Many Faces of Buddhism".
"The festival, known as The Many Faces of Buddhism, is held in London at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum and the Barbican Center in collaboration with the Hong Kong-based philanthropic organization -- Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.
Highlights of the festival include an International Forum on Buddhism and the Arts Today held last Saturday, the opening of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery at the V&A, performances of Buddhist sacred dance, and the first International Buddhist Film Festival in London.
The new Buddhist sculpture gallery which is to open to the public on Wednesday is the first such gallery in Britain. It features treasures from the V&A's world class collections ranging from monumental Chinese temple sculptures to tiny portable gilded Buddhas."
A Buddhist superhero film in English? hm...sounds promising...
"For this reason, Canadian Buddhist Zen Duke has brought together talented artists from all over the world and all faiths including all Buddhist sects from Nichiren and Zen to Western and even Chinese. They are now on the verge of completing an ambitious global epic that will promote inspirational Buddhist teachings and philosophies to a mainstream English speaking audience like no other film before it.
The film is completely non-political and is meant for both Buddhist and non-Buddhist audiences as it uses the popular superhero genre to both entertain and empower all demographics with an inspirational message during these challenging times." Read full article.
I've got to watch this movie. Seven buddhist lessons in all, reviewed by The Buddhist Channel. First one:
"1. Some express aversion to those they have attachment to – because they are intimidated by their own attachment, such that they try to reverse it, to reject their attachment. What they really have is aversion to themselves, not the other. Why not try to cultivate equanimity beyond the extremes of attachment and aversion instead?"
UBA has actually watched The Groundhog Day during a movie night event so I thought this article from the Huffington Post was more than relevant to our readers and members. I actually haven't watched this movie so I cannot offer much insight. But this article explores the possible interpretation of the movie using the Four Noble Truths.
"I was interviewing Ramis for a Buddhist magazine called the Shambhala Sun because, it turns out, many Buddhists read the Buddha's truths (or dharma) between the lines of the script. Ramis gets a kick out of the fact that many religious groups claim the film is for and about their particular sect. I suspect Ramis and the Buddha would agree: 'The more, the merrier."
Ramis himself is not a Buddhist, does not meditate but is well read on the principles and consciously practices the simple tenets that weatherman Phil Connors comes to embody (picture a bald Bill Murray in saffron robes). Ramis, I learned from hanging out with him and interviewing many around him, is somewhere between a mensch (a really good guy) and a boddhisatva (a really good guy whose mission is to help other people become really good guys)." Read the full article.
The Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) will be going to Myanmar to shoot a documentary on Myanmar's Theravada Buddhism called "The Road to Nibbana"
"Directed by Byan Choonho, the video will be shot in the country's famous Inlay Water Village located in northern Shan State.
The documentary will not only feature the life of Buddhist followers in the Inlay region but also the daily life of local inhabitants most of whom are fishermen, the report said."
Here is a new movie coming soon called What Remains of Us. It's about the struggling Buddhist culture of Tibet and the journey a person takes to deliver a message from the Dalai Lama to all his followers.
Just a quick reminder about our Buddhist-themed movie night tomorrow, Friday 24th at 7:30pm featuring the film "Groundhog Day". Snacks will be provided and the movie starts right at 8:00. Let us know if you want to come and we will send you the directions.
I'll try to keep the email brief. First off, we continue our regular meetings this Tuesday, October 21st from 5:30-7 pm at the UCC (633 Gayley Avenue, across from the UCLA campus). Our meetings are facilitated by Reverend Kusala, who leads usin a dharma discussion followed by a chance to ask questions and ameditation. Previous dharma discussions are available in podcast format Rev. Kusala's website: www.dharmatalks.info.
Next, we invite you all to come to our first social event of the year with a movie night featuring the (loosely) Buddhist-themed movie Groundhog Day. The movie starts at 8 pm this Friday, October 24th,but we're starting at 7:30 with snacks! RSVP to ucla.uba.online@gmail.com so we can get a head count and for directions.
Finally, in a couple of weeks we will be traveling to Escondido, CA (San Diego area) for the annual Deer Park Monastery weekend retreat for college students, Nov. 7-9th. We plan to leave by 1 pm Friday and return by 4 or 5 pm Sunday, depending on traffic. The retreat is agreat chance to experience a taste of life in a Buddhist monastery and we generally participate in activities such as meditation, dharma discussions, hiking, and enjoying delicious vegetarian meals. More info can be found at http://www.deerparkmonastery.org/events/retreats/college-retreat.ics. If interested, please RSVP as soon as you can so that we can get ahead count - we will try to provide rides but we are extremely limited on car space, so let us know if you would like to go and are able to drive. It will be very much appreciated!!
That seems to be it - hope to see you on Tuesday and please email us at ucla.uba.online@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thanks and happy 4th week!
The first International Buddhist Film Festival will be located in Mexico City starting from October 29, continuing for ten days. The festival will showcase more than 40 films, including Little Buddha and Dreaming Lhasa.
This event is organized by the Mexico-based Fundacion Cultural Samaya and the Garuda Tibetan Culture Association, the California-based Buddhist Film Society and the Boston-based Prajnopaya Foundation.
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