Exploring Consciousness
Crazy
Wisdom
The extraordinary life of mahasiddha Chögyam Trungpa
A film by Johanna Demetrakas. Filmed in Tibet, UK, Canada & US. 2011
By popular demand extended screenings
until Thursday 24 May
Daily at 1.45pm and at 6.15pm
At Labia on Orange
Book with Labia at 021 424 5927
Ticket R35 includes usual Labia concessions
Running time 89 minutes
Screening on Sunday 27 May at 6pm
at Kagyu Randburg
Tel 011 781 4708
randburg@kagyu.org.za
A teacher deeply controversial yet undeniably brilliant.
Chögyam Trungpa, renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher, shattered notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave when he renounced his monk's vows and eloped with a sixteen year-old aristocrat. Twenty five years after his death, Trungpa's name still evokes admiration and outrage. What made him tick? And just what is enlightenment, anyway?
Crazy Wisdom is the long-awaited feature documentary to explore the life, teachings, and ‘crazy wisdom’ of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a pivotal figure in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Called a genius, rascal, and social visionary; a modern mahasiddha, one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the 20th century, and 'the bad boy of Buddhism’, Trungpa defied categorization.
Born in Tibet, recognized as an exceptional reincarnate lama and trained in the rigorous monastic tradition, Trungpa fled his homeland during the Chinese Communist invasion. In Britain, sensing a cultural gap prevented his students from any deep understanding of Buddhism, he renounced his vows, eloped with Diana Pybus and lived as a westerner. In the US, he openly smoked, drank alcohol and had intimate relations with students. Yet his teachings are recognized as authentic, vast, and influential. Was this crazy wisdom?
For 17 years in North America, Trungpa taught Buddhism as though it were a matter of life and death. He was committed to creating the foundation from which to build an enlightened society. Trungpa landed in the US in 1970 and legend has it that he said to his students, "Take me to your poets." He drew some of the country's prominent avant-garde artists, spiritual teachers and intellectuals - including RD Laing, John Cage, Ram Dass, and Pema Chödrön. Poet Allen Ginsberg considered Trungpa his guru; Catholic priest Thomas Merton wanted to write a book with him; music icon Joni Mitchell wrote a song about him. Trungpa became renowned for translating ancient Buddhist concepts into language and ideas that Westerners could understand. Humor was always a part of his teaching."Enlightenment is better than Disneyland," he quipped, and he warned of the dangers of the "Western spiritual supermarket".
Trungpa's work contributed to a radical cultural shift that brought Tibetan Buddhism to spiritually starved western audiences, disillusioned with the violence and materialism in their own world. How did Americans, dedicated to the relentless pursuit of success, come to embrace the philosophy of a teacher who taught them to meditate for hours at a time without expecting anything in return?
Initially judged harshly by the Tibetan establishment, Trungpa's teachings are now recognized by western philosophers and spiritual leaders, including HH Dalai Lama and HH the Karmapa, as authentic and profound. Today, twenty years after his death, Trungpa's books have been translated into 31 languages and sell worldwide in millions. His organization, Shambhala International, thrives in 35 countries.
Director Johanna Demetrakas uses archival footage, animation, interviews, and original imagery to build a film that mirrors Trungpa's challenging energy and invites viewers to go beyond fixed ideas about our teachers and leaders. Filmed in the UK, Tibet, Canada, and the US, 25 years after Trungpa’s death, with unprecedented access to Trungpa's inner circle and exclusive never-before-seen archival material, Crazy Wisdom looks at the man and the myths about him, leaving the viewers to make up their own mind.
Do visit the movie’s website: http://www.crazywisdomthemovie.com/about
Screened in colloboration with Shambhala South Africa
www.shambhala.co.za
The extraordinary life of mahasiddha Chögyam Trungpa
A film by Johanna Demetrakas. Filmed in Tibet, UK, Canada & US. 2011
By popular demand extended screenings
until Thursday 24 May
Daily at 1.45pm and at 6.15pm
At Labia on Orange
Book with Labia at 021 424 5927
Ticket R35 includes usual Labia concessions
Running time 89 minutes
Screening on Sunday 27 May at 6pm
at Kagyu Randburg
Tel 011 781 4708
randburg@kagyu.org.za
A teacher deeply controversial yet undeniably brilliant.
Chögyam Trungpa, renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher, shattered notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave when he renounced his monk's vows and eloped with a sixteen year-old aristocrat. Twenty five years after his death, Trungpa's name still evokes admiration and outrage. What made him tick? And just what is enlightenment, anyway?
Crazy Wisdom is the long-awaited feature documentary to explore the life, teachings, and ‘crazy wisdom’ of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a pivotal figure in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Called a genius, rascal, and social visionary; a modern mahasiddha, one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the 20th century, and 'the bad boy of Buddhism’, Trungpa defied categorization.
Born in Tibet, recognized as an exceptional reincarnate lama and trained in the rigorous monastic tradition, Trungpa fled his homeland during the Chinese Communist invasion. In Britain, sensing a cultural gap prevented his students from any deep understanding of Buddhism, he renounced his vows, eloped with Diana Pybus and lived as a westerner. In the US, he openly smoked, drank alcohol and had intimate relations with students. Yet his teachings are recognized as authentic, vast, and influential. Was this crazy wisdom?
For 17 years in North America, Trungpa taught Buddhism as though it were a matter of life and death. He was committed to creating the foundation from which to build an enlightened society. Trungpa landed in the US in 1970 and legend has it that he said to his students, "Take me to your poets." He drew some of the country's prominent avant-garde artists, spiritual teachers and intellectuals - including RD Laing, John Cage, Ram Dass, and Pema Chödrön. Poet Allen Ginsberg considered Trungpa his guru; Catholic priest Thomas Merton wanted to write a book with him; music icon Joni Mitchell wrote a song about him. Trungpa became renowned for translating ancient Buddhist concepts into language and ideas that Westerners could understand. Humor was always a part of his teaching."Enlightenment is better than Disneyland," he quipped, and he warned of the dangers of the "Western spiritual supermarket".
Trungpa's work contributed to a radical cultural shift that brought Tibetan Buddhism to spiritually starved western audiences, disillusioned with the violence and materialism in their own world. How did Americans, dedicated to the relentless pursuit of success, come to embrace the philosophy of a teacher who taught them to meditate for hours at a time without expecting anything in return?
Initially judged harshly by the Tibetan establishment, Trungpa's teachings are now recognized by western philosophers and spiritual leaders, including HH Dalai Lama and HH the Karmapa, as authentic and profound. Today, twenty years after his death, Trungpa's books have been translated into 31 languages and sell worldwide in millions. His organization, Shambhala International, thrives in 35 countries.
Director Johanna Demetrakas uses archival footage, animation, interviews, and original imagery to build a film that mirrors Trungpa's challenging energy and invites viewers to go beyond fixed ideas about our teachers and leaders. Filmed in the UK, Tibet, Canada, and the US, 25 years after Trungpa’s death, with unprecedented access to Trungpa's inner circle and exclusive never-before-seen archival material, Crazy Wisdom looks at the man and the myths about him, leaving the viewers to make up their own mind.
Do visit the movie’s website: http://www.crazywisdomthemovie.com/about
Screened in colloboration with Shambhala South Africa
www.shambhala.co.za