Comparison of Two Buddhist Movies

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In the past several decades, the spreading of Buddhism culture is increasingly relied on the media of movie. Many directors, especially those in the eastern countries, are interested in employing the elements of Buddhism in their movie. The vivid visual experience can not only facilitates audience's understanding of the concept in Buddhism such as karma that they may be not familiar with, but also promoting the traditional cultural value of the east. This paper intends to compare and contrast two movies. One of them is a korean movie spring summer fall winter and spring directed by Kim Ki-duk, which depicts different life stages of a Buddhist monk. Another one is a bhutanese movie traveler and magician directed by Khyentse Norbu, which is about a story of a young government official who dreams of going to united states. Both movies reflect the four noble truths in Buddhism by depicting the protagnist's suffering derived from various craving such as lust and materialistic desire in modern world. However, while the movie spring summer fall winter and spring emphasizes karma and inevitable painful experience in finding path to ultimate salvation as the apprentice monk is inevitable to make many mistakes and suffer and learn from his craving and action, the movie traveler and magician focuses more on the importance of appreciating current moment, in which the monk try hard to prevent the government official from going through some seemingly unnecessary future experience. Also, while the attitude of movie "spring summer autumn winter and spring" towards modernity is clear as it criticizes the modern society as a place with temptation and irritation, traveler and magician's attitude towards modernity is vague as the official's decision is unknown at the end of the movie. The four noble truths are the main ideas of Buddhism. They were proclaimed by the Buddha in his

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