lights in the sky

Earth Rising Heaven Descending

Once Free is a refreshingly off-beat, sideways look at the FWBO in North America in a time of flux and uncertainty. It's candid, unvarnished approach makes for a brave exploration of the inspiring, messy, enthralling and frustrating lives of modern American Buddhists.

Vishvapani, Manchester

Yes I did like it very much. It's a beautiful piece of work. Sadhu! Here's a few words:

During many visits since 1988, I've learned that India is such a multifarious place, sometimes the best way to comprehend it, is through someone else's gaze. Suryaprabha sees much that moves the heart, sets the mind thinking, and stirs the conscience. This is both a polemical and poetic film and deserves as wide an audience as possible.

Manjusvara, Bristol

In its 65 minutes Suryaprabha’s Recurring Dream manages to pack in a great deal of serious and often very intimate content– we witness the hopes and aspirations of young orphans growing up in TBMSG hostels; the frank admissions of women living in a Buddhist community as they discuss between themselves their plans up until marriage (and beyond!); the rousing exhortations of Subhuti as he urges his listeners to initiate a “peaceful revolution”. We glimpse the appalling caste violence that mar the lives of many Dalits in India today, and end with the spectacular extravagance of an inter-caste wedding. Highly recommended.

Lokabandhu’s Review in FWBO News

I bought a copy at the convention - and really enjoyed both of them. The American one was fascinating and it was lovely to see all the places that I've read about where Bhante lived.  We hope to show them here to the sangha soon love from,

Dharmavasita, Brighton

I appreciate your interest in us way out here in Montana and I hope some of the more Euro-centric Order Members have gained at least a little sense of how things are in some places out here. It was very interesting how you put together such a broad range of lifestyles! Anyway, thanks for your perspective and I am really looking forward to seeing the other part(s).

Varada, Ronen, Nr. Missoula, MT, USA

I saw Recurring Dream at the Chairs' Assembly the other week and was really moved by it. Your films always move me and I appreciate them very much.

Amogharatna, Berlin

I very much enjoyed seeing the film, found it very absorbing. Thought you'd created quite a gem there. 

Adarsha, London

I had seen parts before this but it was a much more satisfying experience watching the film right through. overall i think that you have done very well.

Mahamati, Birmingham

I DID show the movie at the National Order Weekend, to an audience of at least 30 people, it went down VERY WELL - lots of praise.

Lokabandhu, Glastonbury

I hope there will be many more orders coming. I am very interested to see your work. Tschüss,

Sanghadarsini, Essen

I thought your film Recurring Dream was a fascinating and informative evocation of the work of FWBO/TBMSG which did not shirk presenting some of the difficulties, as well as the joys, of building a Buddha land in the contemporary world.

Ashvajit, Birmingham

The movie is brilliant, good quality, nice photography, direction is nice, I appreciate the efforts and skill you have put, you covered some of the important activities we do all over India. I find the movie informative and educative.

Amalabodhi, India

History of the FWBO

I appreciate the work you have put into all the videos. I think it is a fantastic project and it has my support. Yes, if I think back, I could wish it could have been otherwise, or I could have been more mature etc., but I can really see and appreciate how much the Movement has grown spiritually from setting in motion single sex activities. So Sadhu for all your hard work.

with love Dhammadinna

As always I found the latest of your FWBO history films very interesting and very enjoyable viewing. You do manage to encapsulate most of the main FWBO themes. I think you use images well. Although I lived through a lot of what you showed, nonetheless I suspect that people without this background should also be able to follow the story. I enjoyed the film and think it will be a useful addition to the Movement's video resources.

yours in the Dharma, Dharmapriya

I write with great admiration for the task you have undertaken, and continued to see through, despite a lack of financial help and troubles with the sensitive nature of the more recent material. Congratulations with completing part 3. The intercutting of little live action with stills is very well done in my opinion. It's quite a task to keep interest when you are lacking live-action but I thought you handled the limited material very skilfully.

yours in the Dharma, Mokshapriya

I've just watched the first part of the history of the FWBO ...... Awakening of the Heart. I saw it many years ago when it first came out, but had forgotten much of the content. I found it totally absorbing, engaging and very moving. It's a wonderful piece of work and an incredible record of the early days.  Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu and many thanks for it all.

love, Mangala

Congratulations! Magnificent! I've recently seen your latest, Time of Fire, and I think it's brilliant. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you are doing an important and necessary job, and doing it very well, so give yourself a big hug from me and carry on!

with my love and admiration, Taranatha

I was very impressed with Time of Fire and felt you did handle it very sensitively even though I am aware from your reports that it was not easy to produce. I am very grateful for the time and care you obviously gave to it, and especially the areas in which I featured, I did in the end feel you presented me quite fairly, and I wish to thank you again for all the time you took and for all the work you are putting in to creating these videos.

with metta, Malini

I am grateful for your very skilled, beautiful hard work. Yes, your videos are very important to me, to us all - important even in ways we cannot fathom. SADHU! SADHU! SADHU!

With gratitude and many warm wishes, Varadakini

Please keep up the vital work, though I really appreciate the heroic sacrifices you must be making. I do believe what you are doing is vital for the evolving identity of the FWBO, as we try to understand who we are more fully. And newer people, which is coming to mean most people, can SEE and FEEL where we have come from, in a way that words can't convey. You know all this but I wanted to say it anyway. Around the other side of the world your work IS appreciated.

thank you! with best wishes, Dharmadhara

Ordinary Magic

Captures the quotidian yet splendid nature of friendship…such well-chosen speakers in ones, twos and threes…My film of the year!

Dharmachari Dayasara

I enjoyed watching Ordinary Magic despite my poor vision. I appreciated the general thrust of the video. Taranatha’s account of his friendship with Brian was particularly moving.

Sangharakshita

I found it funny and fresh and moving and I thought it really did communicate both the ordinariness and the magic of friendship and though it was on the theme of men and friendship was likely to be enjoyed as much by women as men.

Dharmacharini Vajradarshini

An excellent, inspiring film.

Robert Diamond

I thought the film told the story very well. I think Suryaprabha’s subtle visual means of conveying his message is an important contribution to the arts in the Movement, and I hope the film is seen widely as it is well worth seeing.

Dharmachari Subhuti

I found myself in tears at the end of the video for why I don’t really know but the subject matter touched me deeply. Sadhu Suryaprabha!

Dharmachari Jayaraja

Full of muscular masculinity. Great!

Tim Kirkpatrick

It gave me a lot of pleasure. I liked a lot the images you used to evoke a feeling of another era and the music.    

Pauline Maquire

Even better on a second viewing.

Dharmachari Mangala

Your work is completely excellent. You have made a really important contribution in your efforts in creating such a video. I hope that it reaches as many beings as possible.

Dharmachari Ratnabandhu

Thank you, very delightful. I found you really captured the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Thierry

For me it was the highlight of FWBO Day.

Dharmacharini Visuddhimati