1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:05,967 --> 00:00:07,877 2,500 years ago 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:08,053 --> 00:00:10,378 Prince Siddharta Gautama 5 00:00:10,555 --> 00:00:14,173 set out from his home in the foothills of the Himalayas 6 00:00:14,351 --> 00:00:18,395 and embarked on a journey in search of the truth. 7 00:00:18,563 --> 00:00:20,105 Many years later, 8 00:00:20,273 --> 00:00:23,477 he arrived in the lowlands of the Ganges river 9 00:00:23,652 --> 00:00:26,190 near the village of Bodh Gaya. 10 00:00:26,363 --> 00:00:30,526 The scene must have been very similar to the one we see here. 11 00:00:31,576 --> 00:00:35,277 He sat down under a tree and attained enlightenment. 12 00:00:35,455 --> 00:00:40,247 Since then he has been known as the Buddha, The Enlightened One. 13 00:00:47,217 --> 00:00:53,255 WHEEL OF TIME 14 00:00:59,062 --> 00:01:04,602 A FILM BY WERNER HERZOG 15 00:01:10,907 --> 00:01:16,531 KALACHAKRA INITIATION 2002 (BODH GAYA, INDIA / GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 16 00:01:21,918 --> 00:01:27,043 WITH THE COLLABORATION OF HIS HOLINESS, THE XIV DALAI LAMA 17 00:01:32,053 --> 00:01:36,347 For the Buddhist world, this is sacred ground. 18 00:01:37,184 --> 00:01:40,268 Pilgrims flock here from across the world. 19 00:01:41,563 --> 00:01:44,315 The modern-day village of Bodh Gaya 20 00:01:44,483 --> 00:01:48,611 still has a bustling market, rickshaws and beggars. 21 00:01:48,778 --> 00:01:50,855 The temple in the background, 22 00:01:51,031 --> 00:01:52,822 called a stupa, 23 00:01:52,991 --> 00:01:57,203 marks the spot where the Buddha sat in meditation. 24 00:02:02,584 --> 00:02:07,827 His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, has called upon the Buddhist world 25 00:02:08,006 --> 00:02:12,051 to gather here for the Kalachakra Initiation. 26 00:02:12,719 --> 00:02:18,224 This ceremony takes place at a specially designated location, 27 00:02:18,558 --> 00:02:22,307 at irregular intervals, around every two to three years. 28 00:02:23,104 --> 00:02:26,355 Half a million pilgrims heeded the call. 29 00:02:26,525 --> 00:02:29,229 No other religious event 30 00:02:29,402 --> 00:02:33,103 is so eagerly anticipated by Buddhist followers. 31 00:02:37,661 --> 00:02:40,697 At the base of the stupa stands the Bodhi Tree, 32 00:02:40,872 --> 00:02:42,746 The Tree of Enlightenment. 33 00:02:42,916 --> 00:02:47,874 It is the fifth-generation descendant of the original tree. 34 00:02:48,839 --> 00:02:51,793 Monks have gathered under its branches 35 00:02:51,967 --> 00:02:54,802 to prepare for the ceremonies. 36 00:03:03,937 --> 00:03:07,935 Kalachakra literally means "wheel of time". 37 00:03:08,108 --> 00:03:12,188 Kalachakra involves a complex initiation rite 38 00:03:12,362 --> 00:03:16,276 which aims to activate the seed of enlightenment, 39 00:03:16,449 --> 00:03:19,237 lying dormant in all living beings. 40 00:03:21,580 --> 00:03:25,198 Butter lamps symbolize this enlightenment. 41 00:03:35,844 --> 00:03:40,173 The central ritual revolves around the creation of a picture, 42 00:03:40,348 --> 00:03:42,804 known as a Sand Mandala. 43 00:03:43,435 --> 00:03:45,807 It depicts an inner landscape, 44 00:03:45,979 --> 00:03:48,387 which represents the Wheel of Time. 45 00:03:48,565 --> 00:03:53,143 It is viewed as a Buddha's dwelling, comprising more than 700 deities 46 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,486 or manifestations of Buddha nature. 47 00:03:56,656 --> 00:03:58,898 The Sand Mandala is so complex 48 00:03:59,242 --> 00:04:03,110 that we turned to the Dalai Lama for further explanation. 49 00:05:51,855 --> 00:05:55,769 The Kalachakra Initiation is comprised of teachings, 50 00:05:55,942 --> 00:05:59,276 prayers, the composition of a Sand Mandala, 51 00:05:59,446 --> 00:06:01,771 and the initiation itself. 52 00:06:01,948 --> 00:06:07,619 500,000 believers will assemble here over the next ten days and nights. 53 00:06:19,591 --> 00:06:22,675 The pilgrims have travelled great distances 54 00:06:22,844 --> 00:06:25,964 from Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. 55 00:06:26,139 --> 00:06:30,600 From the steppes of Mongolia. From Thailand and Sri Lanka. 56 00:07:28,285 --> 00:07:32,496 They have journeyed thousands of kilometres by truck. 57 00:07:33,415 --> 00:07:38,041 But many pilgrims from central Tibet completed their voyage on foot. 58 00:08:08,783 --> 00:08:10,657 A number of these pilgrims 59 00:08:10,827 --> 00:08:13,912 covered the entire journey in this way. 60 00:10:04,149 --> 00:10:07,981 On the second day of festivities we met this monk. 61 00:10:08,153 --> 00:10:12,696 He walked over 4,000 km, prostrating himself at every step, 62 00:10:12,866 --> 00:10:15,701 all the way from the Amdo province, 63 00:10:15,869 --> 00:10:18,953 far beyond the Tibet Autonomous Region. 64 00:10:19,664 --> 00:10:24,622 He explains that his journey lasted over three and a half years. 65 00:10:26,379 --> 00:10:29,131 He comes from such a remote region 66 00:10:29,299 --> 00:10:32,798 that his dialect has to be translated twice. 67 00:10:32,969 --> 00:10:37,216 Firstly into standard Tibetan, and then once again for us. 68 00:10:45,732 --> 00:10:49,860 On his journey, he experienced hunger, thirst, heat and cold. 69 00:10:50,028 --> 00:10:52,863 Word spread about his pilgrimage. 70 00:10:53,031 --> 00:10:55,949 Sometimes nomads would approach him 71 00:10:56,117 --> 00:10:59,118 and offer him water and something to eat. 72 00:11:01,248 --> 00:11:04,202 He prefers not to make a fuss about his voyage. 73 00:11:04,543 --> 00:11:08,161 Ganglions began to form on his hands 74 00:11:08,338 --> 00:11:11,789 although he wore wooden clogs to protect them. 75 00:11:12,050 --> 00:11:15,585 Touching the ground several million times 76 00:11:15,762 --> 00:11:19,546 left a wound on his forehead which has yet to heal. 77 00:11:38,201 --> 00:11:41,036 Would he like to comment on his journey? 78 00:11:41,204 --> 00:11:45,783 "Yes," he replies, " I have learned of the magnitude of the earth." 79 00:11:45,959 --> 00:11:49,660 "I measured it with my body, from head to toe. 80 00:11:49,838 --> 00:11:51,831 Now I understand." 81 00:11:52,007 --> 00:11:54,498 He battled on tirelessly 82 00:11:54,676 --> 00:11:58,211 and now a deep serenity has descended upon him 83 00:11:58,388 --> 00:12:02,053 having reached The Tree of Enlightenment. 84 00:12:21,578 --> 00:12:26,323 The Sand Mandala will be created in a specially enclosed area. 85 00:12:28,752 --> 00:12:32,666 The Mandala will be assembled on this surface. 86 00:12:35,675 --> 00:12:39,376 Before work begins, the surface must be consecrated. 87 00:15:15,502 --> 00:15:20,330 The teaching and prayer area is situated directly outside. 88 00:15:28,390 --> 00:15:32,174 The area is presided over by high-ranking lamas. 89 00:15:33,687 --> 00:15:37,850 The Dalai Lama should be conducting the teachings, 90 00:15:38,024 --> 00:15:39,567 but he has fallen ill 91 00:15:39,734 --> 00:15:42,854 and is unable to attend the first few days. 92 00:16:14,644 --> 00:16:18,263 Back to the stupa, only a few hundred metres away. 93 00:16:19,524 --> 00:16:21,683 Pilgrims flock to this pillar, 94 00:16:21,860 --> 00:16:25,311 believing it to possess curative powers. 95 00:17:20,127 --> 00:17:23,875 At the stupa, pilgrims circle the inner sanctum. 96 00:17:24,047 --> 00:17:27,630 Others are immersed in prayer or meditation. 97 00:20:09,504 --> 00:20:12,873 Work on the Sand Mandala has commenced. 98 00:20:14,801 --> 00:20:19,629 The Dalai Lama would normally construct the initial lines. 99 00:20:19,806 --> 00:20:22,214 However, he is still in bad health 100 00:20:22,392 --> 00:20:26,390 and learned monks must proceed without him. 101 00:20:27,939 --> 00:20:31,889 At the centre of the pattern lies the Wheel of Time. 102 00:20:34,279 --> 00:20:38,324 Whole libraries exist on the Mandala's symbols 103 00:20:38,492 --> 00:20:42,738 to help guide the monks through its intricate maze. 104 00:23:04,846 --> 00:23:07,468 Facing The Tree of Enlightenment, 105 00:23:07,641 --> 00:23:10,844 the faithful perform prostrations. 106 00:23:11,353 --> 00:23:14,804 Their goal is to repeat this 100,000 times. 107 00:23:15,816 --> 00:23:20,524 The fittest among them will manage this in about six weeks. 108 00:25:52,722 --> 00:25:56,388 One of the learned monks has the privilege 109 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:01,222 of defending his doctoral thesis on Buddhist philosophy 110 00:26:01,398 --> 00:26:05,348 in public under the Bodhi Tree. 111 00:26:06,194 --> 00:26:08,816 He is the monk sitting on the right. 112 00:26:17,622 --> 00:26:22,830 The debate unfolds in a manner typical of Tibetan monastic life. 113 00:26:25,714 --> 00:26:30,672 The scholarly debate revolves around two aspects of reality. 114 00:26:30,844 --> 00:26:34,427 The functional reality of our everyday life 115 00:26:34,598 --> 00:26:36,140 and emptiness 116 00:26:36,308 --> 00:26:39,059 which is viewed in Buddhist teachings 117 00:26:39,227 --> 00:26:41,932 as the ultimate reality. 118 00:27:09,341 --> 00:27:14,335 The debate is adjourned for lunch without reaching a conclusive outcome. 119 00:27:35,575 --> 00:27:38,861 In the sprawling tent cities around Bodh Gaya, 120 00:27:39,037 --> 00:27:42,572 monks are assigned various tasks in the kitchen. 121 00:27:42,916 --> 00:27:46,996 The brethren each take it in turns to do particular chores. 122 00:29:49,084 --> 00:29:50,875 As night falls, 123 00:29:51,044 --> 00:29:53,879 the debate gets into full swing. 124 00:32:15,730 --> 00:32:20,476 As the Sand Mandala symbolizes the blueprint of an inner universe, 125 00:32:20,652 --> 00:32:23,404 the vision of a sacred cosmos, 126 00:32:23,572 --> 00:32:25,611 we felt compelled 127 00:32:25,782 --> 00:32:29,317 to visit the most sacred of all Buddhist sites, 128 00:32:29,494 --> 00:32:31,866 Mount Kailash. 129 00:32:32,831 --> 00:32:36,781 The holy mountain, located in Western Tibet, 130 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,622 is venerated in equal measure by both Buddhists and Hindus, 131 00:32:41,798 --> 00:32:45,298 who consider it to be the seat of the deity Shiva. 132 00:32:45,469 --> 00:32:48,220 Long before the existence of Buddhism, 133 00:32:48,388 --> 00:32:53,015 followers of the Tibetan Bön religion venerated the mountain 134 00:32:53,185 --> 00:32:55,224 and still do today. 135 00:32:55,604 --> 00:32:57,929 The mountain and the Mandala 136 00:32:58,273 --> 00:33:01,642 are both viewed as a Buddha's dwelling place. 137 00:33:04,154 --> 00:33:08,365 In the shadow of Mount Kailash lies Lake Manasarovar, 138 00:33:08,533 --> 00:33:10,692 also believed to be sacred 139 00:33:10,869 --> 00:33:14,867 and viewed as the mountain's female consort. 140 00:33:29,304 --> 00:33:32,922 The Tibetans christened the mount Kang Rinpoche, 141 00:33:33,099 --> 00:33:35,507 "precious snow jewel". 142 00:33:43,318 --> 00:33:47,482 All year long, pilgrims flock to the mountain. 143 00:33:47,656 --> 00:33:52,234 Numbers soar dramatically during full moon at the end of May. 144 00:33:52,410 --> 00:33:55,495 This day coincides with the birth of Buddha 145 00:33:55,664 --> 00:33:57,455 and, at the same time, 146 00:33:57,624 --> 00:34:00,708 marks the moment he attained enlightenment. 147 00:34:01,711 --> 00:34:05,163 Every twelve years, during the Year of the Horse, 148 00:34:05,340 --> 00:34:08,341 vast numbers of pilgrims gather here 149 00:34:08,510 --> 00:34:11,001 to assemble on the holy land. 150 00:34:11,513 --> 00:34:14,798 The pilgrims begin their prostrations 151 00:34:14,975 --> 00:34:18,723 the moment Mount Kailash comes into view. 152 00:34:34,035 --> 00:34:38,329 The pilgrims have travelled here without any Western comforts 153 00:34:38,498 --> 00:34:41,250 perched on top of open trucks. 154 00:34:41,418 --> 00:34:44,039 Using primitive bellows, 155 00:34:44,212 --> 00:34:47,462 they kindle fires of dry yak dung 156 00:34:47,632 --> 00:34:49,175 and make tea. 157 00:34:49,885 --> 00:34:53,467 They add barley flour and rancid yak butter. 158 00:34:53,638 --> 00:34:58,135 These are nearly the only provisions they have. 159 00:36:34,523 --> 00:36:38,188 A tent city has emerged at the base of the mountain. 160 00:36:39,278 --> 00:36:41,769 The tents are considered a luxury. 161 00:36:41,947 --> 00:36:46,526 Most pilgrims will spend the freezing nights out in the open, 162 00:36:46,702 --> 00:36:49,027 wrapped only in their overcoats. 163 00:37:02,134 --> 00:37:06,049 The first day begins with the Saka Dawa festival. 164 00:37:06,222 --> 00:37:11,347 The festival culminates with the erection of a tall mast 165 00:37:11,519 --> 00:37:15,433 using ropes adorned with chains of prayer flags. 166 00:40:32,428 --> 00:40:34,884 After the mast has been erected, 167 00:40:35,056 --> 00:40:38,756 the pilgrims set off on the Kora, 168 00:40:38,934 --> 00:40:41,852 or circumambulation of Mount Kailash. 169 00:40:44,732 --> 00:40:48,564 Trekking around the entire base of the mountain 170 00:40:48,736 --> 00:40:50,942 covers a distance of 52 km. 171 00:40:51,113 --> 00:40:53,485 The Kora will take them three days 172 00:40:53,658 --> 00:40:57,572 at an average altitude of well over 5,000 metres. 173 00:40:57,745 --> 00:40:59,536 On the second day, 174 00:40:59,705 --> 00:41:03,750 they will have to cross a pass at an altitude of 5,600 metres. 175 00:41:03,918 --> 00:41:08,081 Each year, several pilgrims die from altitude sickness. 176 00:41:08,255 --> 00:41:11,755 Many of the faithful come from the Indian lowlands 177 00:41:11,926 --> 00:41:15,840 and are not adequately accustomed to the climate. 178 00:41:28,526 --> 00:41:32,475 As it is the Year of the Horse, pilgrims are rewarded 179 00:41:32,655 --> 00:41:36,273 with a twelvefold absolution from negative karma 180 00:41:36,450 --> 00:41:41,408 which would have burdened their existence after reincarnation. 181 00:41:47,253 --> 00:41:50,586 The pilgrims walk in a clockwise direction. 182 00:41:51,132 --> 00:41:55,081 Followers of the B? N religion are easily recognizable. 183 00:41:55,261 --> 00:41:58,012 They move in the opposite direction. 184 00:44:11,105 --> 00:44:13,726 The central part of the Mandala 185 00:44:13,899 --> 00:44:17,399 is evocative of the composition of Mount Kailash, 186 00:44:17,570 --> 00:44:19,728 viewed by many believers 187 00:44:19,905 --> 00:44:24,152 as the centre of the physical and spiritual universe. 188 00:44:24,952 --> 00:44:28,950 We asked the Dalai Lama for his views on this theory. 189 00:48:58,559 --> 00:49:03,719 These cauldrons are used to prepare the monks' afternoon tea. 190 00:49:05,232 --> 00:49:08,317 Eager young monks battle for the honour 191 00:49:08,486 --> 00:49:10,644 of being the first to serve 192 00:49:10,821 --> 00:49:13,491 their group of high-ranking monks. 193 00:51:53,067 --> 00:51:57,444 These are the preparations for the Long Life Ceremony. 194 00:51:59,657 --> 00:52:02,693 Gifts will be distributed among the faithful. 195 00:52:02,868 --> 00:52:07,281 The most coveted of these are the consecrated barley dumplings 196 00:52:07,456 --> 00:52:10,991 which hold the promise of a long and happy life. 197 00:55:36,499 --> 00:55:39,868 The enclosed area containing the Sand Mandala 198 00:55:40,044 --> 00:55:44,421 is now open and on display to the general public. 199 00:55:44,674 --> 00:55:47,081 It is protected by plexiglas, 200 00:55:47,259 --> 00:55:50,426 as touching or breathing on the Mandala 201 00:55:50,596 --> 00:55:52,589 could destroy it. 202 00:57:24,607 --> 00:57:29,185 The Dalai Lama has yet to make a public appearance 203 00:57:29,362 --> 00:57:33,822 and rumours are spreading about the severity of his illness. 204 00:57:34,950 --> 00:57:37,620 Loud speakers announce 205 00:57:37,787 --> 00:57:42,912 that His Holiness will address the pilgrims the following morning. 206 00:57:49,965 --> 00:57:55,007 Hundreds of thousands of queues have been forming since 3 a.m. 207 00:57:55,179 --> 00:57:59,343 Lines of pilgrims stretch for kilometres into the distance. 208 00:59:04,081 --> 00:59:07,331 Pilgrims throw prayer shawls to the front 209 00:59:07,501 --> 00:59:11,120 symbolizing their wish to be close to the Dalai Lama. 210 01:00:16,862 --> 01:00:20,066 Speaking in Tibetan, the Dalai Lama explains 211 01:00:20,241 --> 01:00:22,364 that due to his serious illness 212 01:00:22,702 --> 01:00:26,367 he will be unable to preside over the ceremonies, 213 01:00:26,539 --> 01:00:28,994 each of which lasts many hours. 214 01:00:33,087 --> 01:00:38,426 He will be unable to perform the principal initiation rites. 215 01:00:40,553 --> 01:00:42,426 He calls upon the pilgrims 216 01:00:42,596 --> 01:00:45,800 to reconvene here in a year's time. 217 01:00:46,308 --> 01:00:51,433 Preparations for the next Kalachakra, to be held in Graz in Austria, 218 01:00:51,605 --> 01:00:53,349 have long been underway 219 01:00:53,524 --> 01:00:56,644 and it will go ahead in the autumn as planned. 220 01:00:57,611 --> 01:01:00,980 The Dalai Lama's news does not come as a surprise. 221 01:01:01,157 --> 01:01:03,564 However, the pilgrims are shocked. 222 01:01:03,743 --> 01:01:07,575 Most of them stay up the whole night holding a vigil, 223 01:01:07,747 --> 01:01:11,198 praying for the Dalai Lama's recovery. 224 01:01:27,683 --> 01:01:30,008 He seems about to add something. 225 01:01:30,353 --> 01:01:32,926 However, tormented by the fact 226 01:01:33,105 --> 01:01:36,937 that he has disappointed so many who have come so far, 227 01:01:37,109 --> 01:01:39,018 he remains silent. 228 01:01:55,920 --> 01:01:57,663 Graz in Austria 229 01:01:57,838 --> 01:02:02,299 is home to a small but extremely active Buddhist community. 230 01:02:02,468 --> 01:02:06,845 In cooperation with the City of Graz, it worked incredibly hard 231 01:02:07,014 --> 01:02:10,763 to have the chance to host a Kalachakra Initiation. 232 01:02:11,143 --> 01:02:14,144 The Dalai Lama has rarely agreed 233 01:02:14,313 --> 01:02:17,896 to perform this important ceremony in the West. 234 01:02:19,151 --> 01:02:24,775 He recently expressed concerns about believers who change religions 235 01:02:24,949 --> 01:02:28,567 and cut themselves off from their cultural milieu. 236 01:02:28,744 --> 01:02:30,820 But he does endorse efforts 237 01:02:30,997 --> 01:02:34,163 to study and understand other religions. 238 01:02:34,333 --> 01:02:35,875 Only in this way 239 01:02:36,043 --> 01:02:39,993 can long-lasting peace ever be secured on this planet. 240 01:02:43,009 --> 01:02:47,884 The initiation will take place in the recently opened convention hall 241 01:02:48,055 --> 01:02:51,222 which can easily accommodate 8,000 people. 242 01:02:52,768 --> 01:02:55,971 Despite being tired and evidently jet-lagged, 243 01:02:56,147 --> 01:02:58,305 the Dalai Lama still radiates 244 01:02:58,482 --> 01:03:01,400 his characteristic warmth and kindness. 245 01:03:15,291 --> 01:03:17,746 Unsure of what he may do next, 246 01:03:17,918 --> 01:03:21,003 he is a constant worry to his bodyguards. 247 01:03:21,172 --> 01:03:23,710 He spontaneously sets off 248 01:03:23,883 --> 01:03:26,374 to mingle with the crowd. 249 01:04:26,487 --> 01:04:31,826 The Dalai Lama now performs the duties he was unable to fulfil in Bodh Gaya. 250 01:04:31,993 --> 01:04:37,034 He lays down the first lines of the template for the Sand Mandala. 251 01:04:41,627 --> 01:04:44,830 It will be an exact mathematical replica 252 01:04:45,006 --> 01:04:47,497 of the design used in India. 253 01:04:49,260 --> 01:04:52,593 The people assembled in the hall fall silent. 254 01:05:51,530 --> 01:05:54,152 The Dalai Lama assumes his role 255 01:05:54,325 --> 01:05:57,160 as he leads prayers, teachings 256 01:05:57,328 --> 01:06:00,827 and presides over the composition of the Mandala. 257 01:06:51,090 --> 01:06:54,257 The Dalai Lama takes his place on his throne 258 01:06:54,427 --> 01:06:58,045 from which he will lead several days of instruction. 259 01:07:01,809 --> 01:07:03,932 This man caught our attention 260 01:07:04,103 --> 01:07:08,599 because he was invited to sit with the high-ranking lamas. 261 01:07:09,066 --> 01:07:13,479 We learned that his name was Takna Jigme Sangpo. 262 01:07:14,113 --> 01:07:16,686 A former schoolteacher, 263 01:07:16,866 --> 01:07:22,156 this man spent many years as a political prisoner in Tibet. 264 01:07:22,330 --> 01:07:25,533 He had only recently been released. 265 01:07:25,708 --> 01:07:27,250 Two days ago, 266 01:07:27,418 --> 01:07:31,581 he set eyes on the Dalai Lama for the first time in his life. 267 01:13:20,354 --> 01:13:22,762 Before the initiation begins, 268 01:13:22,940 --> 01:13:26,309 the Dalai Lama performs a number of rituals. 269 01:13:26,944 --> 01:13:29,779 One of the first rituals is the oracle. 270 01:13:29,947 --> 01:13:35,024 This determines the auspicious outcome of the Kalachakra Initiation. 271 01:13:36,287 --> 01:13:38,956 The decisive factor in this ritual 272 01:13:39,123 --> 01:13:42,492 is the direction in which the stick falls. 273 01:13:50,051 --> 01:13:52,090 The only Western layperson 274 01:13:52,261 --> 01:13:55,630 to have the privilege of taking part in this oracle 275 01:13:55,806 --> 01:13:57,348 is Manfred Klell, 276 01:13:57,516 --> 01:14:01,135 the chairman of Graz Buddhist Association. 277 01:14:06,067 --> 01:14:08,937 Another preparatory ritual 278 01:14:09,111 --> 01:14:12,611 is performed using kusha grass from India. 279 01:14:13,532 --> 01:14:16,901 The faithful lay it under their pillows at night 280 01:14:17,078 --> 01:14:20,411 and their dreams are stored in its blades. 281 01:14:21,916 --> 01:14:23,873 Following other rituals, 282 01:14:24,460 --> 01:14:28,956 the protective curtain is lifted and the Sand Mandala unveiled. 283 01:14:29,131 --> 01:14:32,796 The Dalai Lama will now initiate the students 284 01:14:32,968 --> 01:14:35,506 into this sacred landscape. 285 01:14:39,308 --> 01:14:42,262 The assembled believers don red headbands 286 01:14:42,436 --> 01:14:46,683 to symbolize the blindness of their minds thus far. 287 01:14:48,109 --> 01:14:50,267 Some lay seeds on their heads 288 01:14:50,444 --> 01:14:55,153 to represent the activation of their consciousness. 289 01:14:56,325 --> 01:14:59,694 This is followed by many hours of meditation 290 01:14:59,870 --> 01:15:02,196 and rituals to purify the mind 291 01:15:02,373 --> 01:15:06,834 until the faithful have reached a higher state of consciousness. 292 01:16:27,333 --> 01:16:30,334 The zenith of this purely spiritual event, 293 01:16:30,503 --> 01:16:34,832 invisible to a camera lens, thus draws to a close. 294 01:16:41,222 --> 01:16:46,429 All that remains is for the Dalai Lama to destroy the Sand Mandala. 295 01:17:54,045 --> 01:17:57,829 As a symbol of the transitory nature of living creatures, 296 01:17:58,007 --> 01:18:01,376 the Mandala sand is scattered into the Mur river 297 01:18:01,552 --> 01:18:05,929 from where it will flow out as a blessing to the earth. 298 01:18:40,091 --> 01:18:44,040 The Sand Mandala has been released into the world 299 01:18:44,220 --> 01:18:47,719 and the Dalai Lama has left the country. 300 01:18:47,890 --> 01:18:52,054 Yet a solitary bodyguard remains on duty, 301 01:18:52,311 --> 01:18:55,727 evidently still waiting to be discharged. 302 01:19:01,988 --> 01:19:06,899 Or is he meant to symbolize the Buddhist idea of emptiness: 303 01:19:07,076 --> 01:19:08,950 He has no one to protect 304 01:19:09,120 --> 01:19:11,871 and hardly anyone to protect them from. 305 01:19:47,742 --> 01:19:50,945 Back in Bodh Gaya we meet a similar scene. 306 01:19:51,120 --> 01:19:54,121 400,000 discarded cushions. 307 01:20:16,354 --> 01:20:19,105 And one solitary monk. 308 01:20:19,273 --> 01:20:21,515 Still immersed in prayer. 309 01:20:39,877 --> 01:20:41,834 Is he praying for us? 310 01:20:42,463 --> 01:20:45,132 Has he found enlightenment? 311 01:20:46,217 --> 01:20:49,134 And then, like a nocturnal animal 312 01:20:49,303 --> 01:20:51,379 emerging from the earth, 313 01:20:51,555 --> 01:20:54,343 a thought creeps into my mind. 314 01:20:54,517 --> 01:20:58,301 Is it possible that he is sitting on the spot 315 01:20:58,479 --> 01:21:01,563 which marks the centre of the universe?