The red pill or the blue pill? Enlightenment or the endless cycle of samsara? One is a trope invented by “The Matrix“, a 1999 science fiction film starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. The latter is an ancient Buddhist doctrine that states all beings are constantly experiencing an ongoing cycle…
Category: Film and TV
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Silent Bob-hisattva: A Master of Right Speech
We can find the Dharma all around us. Sometimes in the most unlikely of places, like a fat man in an overcoat from New Jersey. Kevin Smith’s character “Silent Bob” is most know for the crude jokes, drug use and the zany adventures he and his “hetero life mate” Jay…
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Netflix and Chan: The Best Buddhist Shows on Netflix
In today’s modern world there are an endless number of ways to absorb the Dharma. There are the classic ways: attending services at your local temple or reading sutras. Conversely, there are more contemporary ways, such as listening to a podcast while hitting the gym or kicking back on the…
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What The Matrix Did and Didn’t Teach You About Buddhist Truths
Keanu Reeves is a Buddha. Well, not really, but he did play one on TV! Reeves played Prince Siddhartha in the 1993 film “Little Buddha” and the film he’s most know for, “The Matrix“, is littered with metaphors for Buddhist teachings. In one of the most famous scenes in the…
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The Hidden Buddhist Roots of Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is an award-winning, beloved, family-friendly franchise full of laughs, puns, gags and…Buddhist wisdom? Jim Henson created the show with the lofty goal of “Ending all wars” by teaching children about the interconnectedness of all things as well as the “unassailable fact that their own actions would have consequences”…
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Right Speech, Wrong Approach: The Spiritual Lessons Of Liar Liar
It’s 9pm. You’re laying on the couch with a big ol’ bag of your favorite snack, scrolling through all your streaming services, but nothing looks worth watching. The new True Crime mini-series looks too intense to relax to, deep down you know that pretentious documentary you want to tell your…
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Groundhog Day: The Unexpected Buddhist Classic of Modern Cinema
“Groundhog Day” featuring the great Bill Murray is considered to be a cult classic. Released in 1993 the film grossed $70,907,146 worldwide. When it was rereleased in 2021 it made an additional $200,989 worldwide. In addition to being a box office success and cult classic many consider it to be…
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The Compassion Of Tonglen Meditation In The Green Mile
What is Tonglen Meditation? Tonglen Meditation is sometimes referred to as “taking and sending” meditation. “Tong” is translated as “giving or sending” and “len” is translated as “receiving or taking”. Its goal is to reverse the human tendency of avoiding suffering and seeking out pleasure. A practitioner of this form…
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Is Lisa Simpson The Most Famous Buddhist of All Time?
Short answer: No. Of course not! There are far more famous, talked about, and recognizable figures in the history of Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama, Ānanda, the Dalai Lama and even Hollywood Actor Orlando Bloom. It’s not fair or accurate to say she’s the the most famous Buddhist of all time, but…