CinemaOSMovie · 2025 · 1h 16m

The Dalai Lama's Gift

The extraordinary time in 1981 when one determined monk brought His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Buddhism, to America

Documentary

In 1981, a Buddhist monk teaching at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, made the bold request of the Dalai Lama to come and perform a rare ritual, never before done outside of India or Tibet: the Kalachakra, among the highest of the Buddhist tantric teachings. In just a few months, with a team of dedicated students, and cameras rolling, they constructed a temple and organized an event for over a thousand spiritual seekers, in a cornfield outside Madison. The incredible footage was tucked away in the Smithsonian vaults, until now. What unfolds is the story of a powerful ritual, its impact on the people that made it happen, and the meaning behind this ancient initiation.

Directed byEd Bastian

Play
Status
Released
Runtime
1h 16m
Language
EN
Released
February 22, 2025

Featuring

Cast & crew

1 credited
Starring
Tenzin Gyatso

Tenzin Gyatso

Self

Creative team
Directed by
Ed Bastian

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