In this fascinating documentary film, we will travel with historian Bettany Hughes discovering the seven wonders of the Buddhist world, penetrating the mysteries of one of the oldest systems of thought in the world. Buddhism was born in India over 2500 years ago with a man who had an extraordinary revelation during meditation. Today, Buddhism is practiced by more than 350 million people around the world, gaining more and more followers every year.
In an attempt to better understand the beliefs and practices that form the core of Buddhist philosophy and to discover how Buddhism came into being and how it expanded, Hughes visits some of the most impressive monuments throughout the planet. His journey begins at the Mahabodhi Temple in India, where Buddhism was born; here, Hughes examines the roots of the Buddhist system – “the three gems”.
In Nepal, at Boudhanath Stupa, he analyzes the concept of dharma – the teaching of the Buddha, and at the Temple of the Tooth, in Sri Lanka, Bettany explores the notion of karma, the idea that all our actions have consequences.. At the Wat Pho Temple in Thailand, Hughes explores samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death, which Buddhists try to interrupt by reaching the state of enlightenment, and then travels to Angkor Wat, in Cambodia, where we learn more about the practice of meditation.
In Hong Kong, Hughes pays a visit to the Gigantic Buddha and searches for the concept of zen, before helping with the last wonder, the Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, to discover more about the ultimate goal of all Buddhists – nirvana.
Source: http://www.filmedocumentare.com