O Buda

Just as the core of Buddhism is centered on very simple principals,this documentary attempts to convey the life of the founder of this mindset,way of life;(religion)in an unobtrusive way, much as the man himself may have wanted it portrayed, I should think.

The story is portrayed simply as a fable, but since it is about a real man with real ideas that have helped billions, it is treated with dignity and restraint because of the sensitive nature of modern society when it comes to the nature of our existence,and personal religious beliefs.

The glowing faces and tone of the monks and HHS Dalai Lama are vivid reminders of a simple monk with a simple recipe for a higher existence on this earth that is still available for all.

I found this documentary very instructive. I saw it on PBS, which is very well known for its high quality documentaries. And this one just follows that tradition. Buddhism is a beautiful religion/philosophy and was portrayed in the documentary in a simple and easy to understand manner. The music adequately accompanies the narration and the beautiful animations.

The Buddha's story is very touching and reflects the endless quest of humanity for peace. Peace starts with one's self, to be able to reflect it on the outside world.

Personnaly, it opened my eyes and heart at life. Will definitely meditate more often now. Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful and poetic production covering who the Buddha was and why we should care. In particular, I love the tone of this documentary, which avoids the flash and quick pacing of so many productions and instead opts for the qualities that may be ascribed to the Buddha himself.

You may not be surprised when you learn that Buddhist actor Richard Gere is the narrator that this is not an entirely neutral documentary. For me that lessened my enjoyment somewhat, but the repetitions are the biggest flaw.

It starts of well. We learn about the stories of Buddha's early life and what is taught about his path to become the Buddha. Whether they impress you or not they are tales of a flawed man searching for meaning and are all about searching within up until the point when he "finds himself" - then you get a load of religious mojo or perhaps it should just be seen as allegory but it is told without any indication it should be taken allegorically.

Once we have reached the point when he is supposedly the Buddha it becomes propaganda - and not compelling propaganda. I am an atheist, so it is possible that people who are believers will see this differently but I think they will agree that the second half has little insight to offer that the first half didn't cover except some miracles that are very contradictory with the earlier part of the Buddhas teachings and feel like things that the religious added later to compete with other religious claims.

After watching I still think that Buddha - if he existed - was a man who tried to help people live in the moment but who's teachings have been usurped by a religion that has distorted and embellished so much that we can not know anything about who the man may ever have been.

If you know little of Buddhism this is still an OK primer that is worth watching - if you do know the basics about Siddhartha Gautama I would recommend you look elsewhere for further enlightenment on the subject.

I was glad to watch this documentary about the life of Lord Buddha. It gives a good introduction. However, the focus is given to later developed Mahayana Tradition instead of authentic Theravada Buddhism. Some useful content is omitted. But overall it gives a good idea about Buddhism. If you want deep details read "In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon" by Bhikkhu Bodhi.