This document provides guidance on using films to teach about Buddhism. It lists several films that directly reference Buddhism, such as "The Little Buddha" and "Seven Years in Tibet", as well as films that touch on Buddhist themes without explicitly mentioning Buddhism, such as "The Matrix", "The Big Lebowski", and "Groundhog Day". It also recommends several Studio Ghibli films known for addressing Buddhist ideas, including "Princess Mononoke", "Spirited Away", and "My Neighbor Totoro". The document encourages discussing both films that portray Buddhism accurately and those that perpetuate stereotypes, in order to analyze how Buddhism is represented in media.

1. Buddhism, films and
Netflix

2. Netflix
Prime and You
Tube ……
You don’t have to be an expert on
films . Being able to watch and
enjoy a film is a good first step to
talking about ideas.
Watching and talking about films
can be an enjoyable and exciting
way to learn about many
subjects.

3. Why Buddhism and
Film?
• There are many great films on
Buddhism
• There are lots of films that deal with
themes and issues that relate to
Buddhism
• Film is a good way to introduce young
people to Buddhism from lots of
different perspectives that challenge
stereotypes about Buddhism

4. How do you teach using
films?
• There are lots of websites out there that can give you
ideas, one of the best is
https://journeysinfilm.org/downloads/curriculum-
guides/
• You can talk about the themes/issues before you
watch the film so that you know what to look out for.
• You don’t have to watch the whole thing, just watch
the bit you think is relevant.
• Sit back, enjoy the film and talk about it over
dinner/snacks or another time.

5. Films to watch
that deal with
Buddhism
directly
• The Little Buddha
• Seven Years in Tibet
• Brilliant Moon
• Kundun
• The Cup
• My Reincarnation

6. Even bad films can be
good ………
• Some films perpetuate stereotypes about
Buddhism but don’t ignore these films.
• They can be used as a way of discussing some
important questions;
• What are the stereotypes?
• Does it matter if there are stereotypes in films?
• Is there such a thing as a positive stereotype?

7. There are many films that do not reference
Buddhism explicitly, but which can be used to
consider themes and questions associated with
Buddhism. The next 3 slides are my favorite non
Buddhist films you can use to start a discussion
about Buddhism

8. The Matrix
• 1. Neo is given a spoon by a
child dressed as a Buddhist
monk. What does the child
mean when he says ‘there is
no spoon?’
• 2. The Matrix raises
questions about the nature
of reality, is the world we live
in ‘maya’, an illusion?
• 3. Is it better to be
enlightened and aware of
your situation or to continue
to sleep in ignorance?

9. The Big Lebowski
• Is the Lebowski a modern Zen master, is it
disrespectful to suggest that he might be?
• Big Lebowski is unattached to material
goods but he is also lazy and unreliable. Is
he a moral person?
• He has very little sense of self and almost
no attachments, in what ways can these
be interpreted as positive traits?

10. Groundhog Day
• Phil Connors is reborn every day, how does his
experience of ‘samsara’ – continual rebirth,
change in the film?
• How can Phil’s decisions about how lives each
day be understood as an example of Kama?
• Phil breaks the cycle of rebirth, how does he
do this, why does he do this?

11. Studio Ghibli offers some of
the most beautiful and
thought-provoking films in
relation to Buddhism
I've chosen my three favorite Studio
Ghibli films (on the following slides) but
there are many more on Netflix.

12. Princess Mononoke
• The film is full of ideas and themes that are
common in Buddhism; the role of suffering,
angry ghosts and compromise.
• There are strong messages about the
relationship between humanity and the
environment.
• How are ideas of spirituality, death and rebirth
expressed through the Forest God?

13. Spirited Away
• The central theme of this film is greed and
redemption. Ten-year-old Chihiro wanders
the realms of the spirits after her parents
are tuned into pigs.
• The film has may characters and ideas taken
from Buddhist/Japanese folklore including
nature spirits and folk rituals.

14. My Neighbor Totoro
• This is a story of two sisters coping with the illness
of their mother but it is presented as their adventure
with a large totoro.
• There are many images and references to Shinto
and Buddhist iconography.
• There are no rigid lines between Shinto, Buddhist
and spiritual beliefs in the film just as it is not always
clear what is ‘real’ and what is imagination.