A journey into ‘The Inner Path’ shown by Gautam Buddha

By sagarmedia on April 28, 2012 

New Delhi, 28 April: Over twenty feature and short films, panel discussions, art exhibitions, and discourses on Buddhist philosophy and thought will mark ‘Inner Path’, a five-day festival of understanding Buddhism.

Union Minister for Culture Kumari Selja will inaugurate the meet on 27 April at Azad Bhavan of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations whose President Dr Karan Singh and Director-General Dr Suresh K Goel will be present. This will be followed by ‘Buddhist Sacred Dances and Rituals’ by a six-member dance troupe from Sri Lanka.

Prior to the inauguration of the main event, the exhibition ‘The Greatest Journey of Ideas: Spread of Buddhism’ – a select range of photographs of Buddhist Art in 19 countries by art historian-filmmaker- photographer Benoy K Behl will be inaugurated the same day. This is the preview of an exhibition opening in London on 15 May, Washington on 19 May and Tokyo on 24 May. 

‘The Inner Path’ is being organized by the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) and the Devki Foundation and is the first International Buddhist Festival in the country of his birth.  The festival, which is expected to become an annual feature, has been conceptualized by renowned film critic and NETPAC President Aruna Vasudev, and is being held in partnership with eminent filmmaker Suresh Jindal, Chairman of the Devki Foundation.

Starting from 27 April and slated to go on till 1 May, the festival at the Azad Bhavan (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) will present Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics through various creative forms – a dance performance, films, an exhibition of photographs, and selected art works, discourses, discussions and debates.

The objective of the festival is to promote an understanding and appreciation of the art and philosophy of Buddhism together with the interaction of audiences with scholars and filmmakers.

Addressing a press meet here, Dr Goel, Ms Vasudev and Mr Jindal stressed that Buddhism was not a religion but a way of thought and an exploration of the mind. 

Ms Vasudev said this was the first event on Buddhism after the International Buddhist Conclave held last year in November. She also recalled that NETPAC had organized a festival of films on Buddhism way back in 1995. 

She said the features, documentaries, and shorts are coming from Bhutan, Argentina, Korea, Sri Lanka, China and Japan.

Renowned directors and film personalities from these countries will be present. They include director Yoon Yong-jin of ‘Hal’, Srilankan film star Thumindu Dodantenna of ‘Sankara’, ‘Amongst the Clouds’ by Edward A. Burger; the documentary ‘Peace is every step’ by Gaetano Kazuo Maida, and renowned director Hector Kumarasiri whose film ‘Abinikmana’ will have its world premiere here. She added that ‘Trishagini’ by Nabendu Ghosh which was screened in 1995 will also be shown, apart from ten films by Benoy K Behl, and Im Kwon-Taek’s ‘Come Come Come Upwards’.

Dr Goel said Buddhism – a gift to the world from India – appeared to have come back with a vengeance in the past few years as people had begun to realize that it was not a religion but a way of thought.

Mr Behl said he had been documenting the history of Buddhism and had made twelve films on the subject.  Apart from his exhibition, an exhibition of a selection of Contemporary Buddhist Art presented by The Art Value, and Asha’s Salon d’Art will also be on display.

Prof. Shashi Bala, scholar and author of several books on Buddhism, said she would be conducting Panel Discussions on 30 April and 1 May from 2 pm to 4 pm on Boddhisatvas.

On each festival day, there will be a philosophical discourse by a Buddhist scholar/practitioner on different traditions of Buddhist philosophy every evening at 5.00 pm. These are: Tibetan Buddhism and the Nalanda Tradition by Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director of Tibet House, New Delhi (28 April); Bodhidharma and Zen Buddhism by Prof. Lokesh Chandra, International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi (29 April); Mindfulness in everyday life by Dharmacharya  Shantum Seth, Ahimsa Trust (30 April); and The Three Yanas by Venerable Sumati Sasana, Spiritual Programme Coordinator, Tushita Centre, New Delhi (1 May).

NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) is an international organization with its Secretariat in Sri Lanka and Aruna Vasudev is its Founder-President. NETPAC-India has been actively promoting Asian cinema in India over many years. Aruna also founded the world’s first Asian film journal ‘Cinemaya’ and the Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema

Devki Foundation is a registered Trust of Award-winning Film Producer Suresh Jindal some of whose films include Basu Chatterji’s Rajnigandha, Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khilari, Attenborough’s Gandhi, Mani Kaul’s Naukar Ki Kameej, etc. He has just finished the shooting of Vara, the new film by Khyentse Norbu (who made The Cup & Travellers & Magicians), as Executive Producer. The Trust is involved in supporting Buddhist schools and Dharma Centres.

The Festival has been supported by the ICCR and the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry for External Affairs, Government of India.