208. SAMSARA, MUCH MORE THAN A HEAVY PERFUME by Un'Americana a Venezia

A French perfume maker sells a scent called "Samsara."  In my humble opinion, the name of their concoction aptly fits:  It's heavy, complex and hard to define.  What does samsara mean?  It's a Sanskrit term which can be variously defined as the sensory World; the Journey Through; the Wandering Across; the Continuous Flow; the Stream of Existence.  Place those definitions into the context of Eastern religions that believe in the transmigration of souls and  samsara then refers to the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth in this earthly realm or some other.  For them, every being's life is like a candle flame which is extinguished at the moment of death, its last flicker destined to light yet another candle.  On and on, life after life, all beings wander in the samsara where pain and pleasure, attraction and repulsion, persist, all of which cause suffering.  However, there is a way out of the suffering inherent in living, growing old, getting sick, and dying.  The release from one's wandering in the samsara is called moksha, or liberation, which implies nirvana.  Nirvana is that still, peaceful, uncomplicated state that weary travelers long for, a plane of consciousness where nothing is happening, only joyful peace.  Those who reach nirvana, in this very life or beyond, have mastered their own actions, emotions, and reactions.  They are well enough in control of their own minds to be able to blow out their candles forever, and so are free to stop wandering in the samsara.  Anyone can do it, and such are referred to as sages and buddhas.  Aside from perfume, a cruise ship spa, and a party beach in Southern Italy, there are also several films in circulation that go by the name "Samsara."  One of them, directed by Pan Nalin, offers an extraordinary treatment of the Sanskrit concept.  It is the story, however unlikely, of a Buddhist monk in the Himalayas who is well on his way to becoming a yogi.  Teshi, played by Shawn Ku, has just spent over three years seated in meditation inside a sealed cave, learning to control fully both body and mind.  When he returns, much changed, to the monastery, he finds that instead of having left all his earthly desires behind, they are suddenly following him with a fury.  This is a huge problem for a monk actively seeking moksha.  Attempts at rehabilitation fail and Teshi is forced to act.  In love now with a decent village girl named Pema, played by Christy Chung, he gives up the religious life for that of an ordinary householder.  Teshi, who has spent nearly the whole of his life as a monk, must come to grips with the ways of the world, ways which can be tricky even in the Himalayas.  With that, I shall say no more about the story.  The concept is captivating, as is the photography and the original music by Cyril Morin.  The actors are so effective that dialogue is barely needed.  Viewers not acquainted with Tibetan Buddhism will enjoy this film the same, I feel sure.  Pan Nalin's "Samsara" (2001) is not very easy to find in English--you can watch it in Italian at YouTube--but the search should prove worthwhile.  While preparing this post, I learned that, ironically, Eastern philosophy holds that nirvana and samsara exist on "a single Ground," that the essential difference between them has to do with Awareness with a capital "a."  That is a refreshing thought.  It means that in order to get off the wheel of samsara and experience nirvana, there is nowhere to go.  No miracles to perform.  No pearly gates.  It implies that we can be where we are now and master our own thoughts, words and deeds.  As Gandhi instructed, become the peace you want to see in the world.  As Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama ("Ocean Teacher"), explains, "My religion is kindness."  As Jesus Christ said so clearly, "The kingdom of God is in the midst of you."  With that, I wish all souls an ever more conscious journey toward the ultimate goal.  May the road rise up to meet us.   UN’AMERICANA A VENEZIA