Review of Little Buddha (1993) by Shavon L — 15 Feb 2014

Plot Summary.

In the movie Little Buddha a little male child has been sought out by Tibetan monks who think that he is the reincarnation of a past lama and is the Buddha. The boy takes a journey to India in search of knowing if he is the Buddha.

World Religion.

Buddhism is one of the largest religions in the world. With its unique way of being kind, having peace and being one with people and nature, Buddhism is truly a way of life. I am currently studying Buddhism in a course and it talks about the enlightenment of the Buddha. I watched Little Buddha by Bernardo Bertolucci recently. The basis of the movie was the boy Jessie's mother being approached by Tibetan monks, the Buddha finding his way to enlightenment and is Jessie the reincarnation of a lama and is he the Buddha.

Jessie is a little boy that lives in Seattle with his mother and father. One day at his school playground, a monk approached his mother about talking to her and her son. The Lama which died gave the monk a vision that the next Buddha would live in a house on the hill. The monk visited Jessie and gave him a book on Buddhism and wanted to mentor him. Later, the monk wanted Jessie to come to India to see if he was the Buddha.

The Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama who was born a prince. Before his birth, his mother Queen Maya had a vision of a baby elephant with her. Right before giving birth she fell into a trance that pulled her deep into the woods. She began to have labor pains and the tree bowed to her for her own support. Siddhartha was born and instantly started to walk. As he walked blossoms were growing from his footsteps. His father King Suddhodana shielded him from pain and suffering. As he grew up, Siddhartha heard a song of pain, he wanted to know what it was, pain. He never went outside of his palace because he had everything at his fingertips. He saw old age, sickness and death for the first time. He wanted to put an end to suffering. One night everyone was in a deep sleep and he vanished. He went to meditate for six years and nothing happened until he heard a teacher speak to his students about sings not being too tight or to loose. He then found enlightenment. Though many trials came with Mara the Tempter, the Buddha prevailed to end suffering. But will Jessie be the Buddha when there are two other prospects?

Jessie and his father went to India to talk with the monks and see if he was the Buddha. With the two other children, he thought there was just one. In the end all three of the child had the Lamas traits and all three of the children were the Buddha.

In conclusion, Little Buddha was an amazing story about of the Buddha came about and how he gained enlightenment. The Buddha cared about others more than himself and he wanted to end all suffering forever by teaching the power of enlightenment and ending sickness, old age and death. With these things one would be reincarnated and live again.