Spiritual Revolution

At last a look at how Eastern spirituality takes different forms when it mixes with Western culture. A who's-who from Buddhist and Hindu traditions, this film also gets into the nitty-gritty by showing spirituality's impact on kids and even junkies. It's now screening for free on Kanopy thanks to library systems, and is much viewing for anyone with an interest in a better life. I'm grateful to the friend who told me about it, and I'm happy to share it with others. Stressing the need for interconnectedness -- and for meditation rather than medication -- this is a film that's more needed than ever in our troubled world.

Unlike other films in this genre, which focus solely on gurus, rinpoches, and other spiritual masters, this documentary takes a broader and more interesting approach. By adding distinctly Western voices -- scientists, psychoanalysts, historians, and even a Catholic theologian -- it brings into focus the ever-more converging paths between the East and the West. Of special interest was is the attention to the emerging role of women as Eastern traditions acquire a Western audience. Most distinctive of all is that rather than focusing, as so many "spiritual" films do, on the avant-garde, "Spiritual Revolution" takes the viewer into previously uncharted terrain by showing how meditation is now being used as a tool in helping groups such as Inner City kids and AIDS patients. Its ultimate message? "Meditation" rather than "Medication."

Wasn't sure about this because of low ratings, but since none of the low-raters seemed to have actually seen the film, I decided to take the plunge. And was sure glad I did! Covering a huge amount of territory, from gurus, swamis and The Hugging Saint of Kerala all the way to Harvard Med School researchers, this is an amazing survey of the many many different kinds of meditation/spiritual teaching, their implementation and their benefits. Interviews with people like Bob Thurman (yeah, Uma's dad) are also hysterically funny. Sections demonstrating the efficacy of "mindfulness" with Inner City kids or adult drug addicts are mind-blowing. If you have any interest in meditation instead of medication, don't miss it.