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Existential and Spiritual Themes in Disaster Relief Work

 Mark Yang's paper directly here.

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Existential and Spiritual Themes in Disaster Relief Work

Mark C. Yang, PsyD

http://www.saybrook.edu/.../existential-and-spiritual...

Like many other mental health professionals around the world, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Sichuan China in May of 2008, a number of the students and faculty from the Alliant International University’s Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program in Hong Kony Mark desperately wanted to utilize our training and expertise and be of some assistance to the survivors of the earthquake. The images we’ve seen through the media moved our hearts. Yet, we were very much unsure as to what we could offer. All of us lack experience with disaster relief work. Nevertheless, we just knew that there must be something we can offer from our training.

Eventually, we made contact with Dr. Yang You Chuan and Dr. Deng Hong from Huashi Hospital in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan, China who introduced us to a wonderfully dedicated team of volunteers who have been committed to helping the victims of the disaster. Through them, we have learned much about our limitations, our naivete, and what it means to serve the survivors of the earthquake. In the process, we have become friends.

What we’ve discovered is a parallel journey. We learned that just as the volunteers had to go and establish trusting relationships with the survivors before learning more about their needs, we the students and faculty from Hong Kong needed to do the same in terms of establishing the same trusting relationships with the volunteers first before we can begin to find out how best to serve. How often have we been taught in our clinical psychology program of the importance of doing a proper assessment? It was important that we find out what exactly are the needs of the volunteers and the survivors lest we end up serving ourselves and in the process adding to the burden of the volunteers. We found that this took time. We found that we had to be patient. We needed to have a long-term perspective. We very quickly found out that given our geographical separation, our lack of consistent availability and finally, our inability to speak the local dialect, there was very little we can do to help the survivors of the earthquake. It was a time of despair.

Yet, as we faced and sat with this despair, an opportunity presented itself to us! It became clear that our mission is the same as that of the volunteers. When I asked a committed group leader of the volunteers what help I can offer to him, I was thinking in terms of material and professional assistance. I was humbled by his response. He shared with me that the most important things he offers to the survivors are intangible. He travels weekly, three hours each way, to offer the survivors Support, Companionship/ Presence, and A Listen Ear. It became clear to me that this is exactly our role as volunteers. While there is little that we can offer directly to the survivors, we can take the same supportive and companionship role to the volunteers as they serve the survivors. The group leader reminded me of the most important fundamental healing factors in therapy. He shared with me that it is important for the survivors to know that they are not alone and have not been forgotten. This is the message that the students and I want to bring to the volunteers as they toil anonymously week to week. We want them to know that they are not alone and that we honor and support the work that they do.

This article is the result of our collaboration. We in the mental health field constantly remind caretakers of the importance of self-care. Ironically, sometimes we forget our own message. Thus, the students and I thought it be important for us to organize and initiate a weekend retreat for the volunteers to simply come together for a time of relaxation, revitalization, and sharing. Loosely based on the work of Victor Frankl (1959) and Logotherapy, we prepared two simple questions for reflection: How has the earthquake changed your life? And how has the earthquake changed and/or enhanced your worldview?

Presuming that the volunteers might be more comfortable talking about the changes and impact of the earthquake upon the survivors’ lives, we were intentional in asking the volunteers to think about the earthquake’s impact upon their own lives. This is consistent with the theme of self-care. We did not want an “out there” search for impersonal answers, but rather an “in here” search for personal meaning. We believed that such personal meanings discovered will ultimately lead to renewal and transformation. “Searching is a process of transformation from inside, facilitating transition and psychological shifts inwardly by which the individual moves the process of living from one stage of life to the next, forming patterns of beginnings and endings. These patterns become conscious and choiceful to the individual through the searching process lived in psychotherapy” (Heery & Bugental, n.d.). Or, in the words of Nietzsche, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how” (as cited in Frankl, 1959). We believed that helping the volunteers to reflect upon their “whys” will help them to endure their ‘hows” leading to renewal.

What I write here are the themes that emerged from our weekend of sharing. What I remember most from the weekend is the amount of deep laughter that we shared. I’ve learned that in the face of tragedy, if we choose to heroically confront the suffering, what often emerges is a deeper sense of meaning and awe. It is entirely appropriate that laughter be the result. I wish you could have been there with us that weekend. This is not possible. Instead, what I can share with you through this article is the lessons that I’ve learned from the volunteers that weekend.

1] Letting Go and Living in the Moment

A basic existential belief is that Life and death are interdependent; they exist simultaneously, not consecutively. The rural survivors, being much closer to the land, perhaps closer to existence, being around life and death all the time with the birth, raising and slaughter of livestock, are much more accepting of life and the impermanence of life. A number of the volunteers shared that they were impressed with how the survivors have so quickly come to accept this truth. And I believe that the acceptance of this fundamental tenet that life and death are interdependent is critical to the wellbeing and spiritual growth of the survivors.

The wisdom of such a paradoxical view is expressed in these timeless quotes from the following philosophers and psychologists:

Seneca, “No man enjoys the true taste of life but he who is willing and ready to quit it” (as cited in Montaigne, 1965, p. 61).

Saint Augustine, “It is only in the face of death that man’s self is born” (as cited in Montaigne, 1965, p. 63).

Irvin Yalom (2002) “Although the physicality of death destroys man, the idea of death saves him” by Irvin Yalom (p. 126).

In other words, the physical earthquake has destroyed many lives, yet the earthquake has also saved and improved many lives.

The earthquake is an excellent reminder of the existential given that men are thrown into groundlessness, a concept advanced by Martin Heidegger (1962). Indeed the very ground that we walk and live on both gives and takes away life. Often, we talk figuratively about being shaken to our foundations. The earthquake serves as a powerful, undeniable, and literal reminder that indeed even our very basic foundation of living our everyday lives must not be taken for granted. Indeed life and death are simultaneous, not distinct nor consecutive. In order for the survivors to recover and even thrive, they must come to some form of acceptance that the earthquake is not an anomaly but an existential, everyday fact of life. Awareness and acceptance of this fact and the terrible consequences of the earthquake are something that we all must confront and out of this confrontation can come tremendous growth.

The growth that can result from this confrontation is that we live more authentically and live more in the moment. Martin Heidegger (1962) believed that there are two fundamental modes of existing in the world: (1) a state of forgetfulness of being or (2) a state of mindfulness of being.

Forgetfulness of Being: Living in the world of things. Heidegger refers to this as “inauthentic” living. Unaware, fleeing, tranquilized, avoiding choice. Everyday living.

Mindfulness: One marvels not about the way things are but that they are. Authentic, responsible for choice, awareness, transcendent. One embraces one’s possibilities and limits; one faces absolute freedom and nothingness – and is anxious in the face of them (note: not absence of anxiety).

The Letting Go I heard from a number of the volunteers point to this type of living. One volunteer talked about letting go of perfection (related to the forgiveness of herself and others). How she no longer waits until she’s attained some self-prescribed goal before rewarding herself with living. She was always striving and striving, always not quite good enough. She knew intellectually that she needed to let go, but her work with the survivors and the confrontations with the fragility of life impelled her with the courage to live in the present. Another volunteer talked similarly about living a slower pace of life internally. About simply enjoying walks in the park with her daughter. Prior to the earthquake, she’s always been too busy to take these walks and did not take the time to enjoy what was around her. But her work with the survivors helped her to enter in to an Ontological Way of Being (from the Greek ontos meaning “existence” or “being”) where one remains mindful of being, not only mindful of the fragility of being but mindful too of one’s responsibility for one’s own being (Heidegger, 1962). This is a state where one wonders not about why things are the way they are but that they are. From another perspective, both of these volunteers and others became aware the Buddhist’s concept of detachment – don’t cling to things, because everything is impermanent. Which paradoxically does not mean that you don’t let the experience penetrate you; on the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That is how one can finally detach. Finally, from the existential perspective, the volunteer’s work reminded me that existence/life cannot be postponed.

2] Putting Things in Perspective - Wonderment and Awe

In becoming more aware of our impermanence, we also gain a deeper appreciation of perspective. This came across in a number of ways in the sharing of the volunteers. First of all, a few of the Christian volunteers shared readily about how they recognized their limitations in the face of all the destruction and all the need. They readily recognized their insignificance in the presence of the Almighty God. They recognized that though they had numerous questions, they were limited in their understanding as to the reason for all this suffering. This reminded me of an analogy offered by Victor Frankl (1959) in his book Man’s Search for Meaning:

A question is asked whether an ape which was being used to develop poliomyelitis serum, and for this reason punctured again and again, would ever be able to grasp the meaning of it’s suffering? The answer is obvious. With it’s limited intelligence, it could not enter into the world of man, i.e., the only world in which the meaning of its suffering would be understandable.

And what about man? Are you sure that the human world is a terminal point in the evolution of the cosmos? Is it not conceivable that there is still another dimension, a world beyond man’s world; a world in which the question of an ultimate meaning of human suffering would find an answer?”

This ultimate meaning necessarily exceeds and surpasses the finite intellectual capacities of man. What is demanded of man is not, as some existential philosophers teach, to endure the meaninglessness of life, but rather to bear his incapacity to grasp its unconditional meaningfulness in rational terms (p. 99).

What Frankl is proposing above reminds me of the Taoist perspective of submitting to the Tao. Submitting to a hidden order of things. There seems to be a hidden order of things regarding life and death that some of the survivors implicitly knew. They were able to move on without being tormented by the never ending questions of Why?

I can also imagine the Christian volunteers understanding the following advice given by a A Hasidic sage: “When a man suffers, he ought not to say, ‘That’s bad! That’s bad!’ Nothing God imposes on man is bad. But it is all right to say, ‘That’s bitter! That’s bitter!’ For among medicines there are some that are made with bitter herbs.”

Whether you agree with the Christian or Hasidic tradition of surrender to the Almighty, there is undeniably a theme of surrender in the sharing of the volunteers. The main form of this surrender is asking the very real questions of “What can I do in the midst of such overwhelming need?” In the form of a statement, it becomes, “I see my insignificance next to such overwhelming need.” Which naturally begs the question, “what can I offer? What difference does it make if I go (to serve as a volunteer) this week or not?”

3] Heroic Nihilism

The opposite approach to surrender is defiance as characterized by Albert Camus. Camus (1955) went through a period in his thinking which started with nihilism and ended with what he called heroic nihilism. The volunteers from both Chengdu and Hong Kong went through a similar process when we were confronted with our limitations. Camus’ new vision posits that we can construct a new life meaning by cherishing our “nights of despair,” by facing the very vortex of meaninglessness and arriving at a posture of “heroic nihilism.” And the values of heroic nihilism consist of courage, prideful rebellion, fraternal solidarity, love, and secular saintliness.

A human being, Camus believed, can attain full stature only by living with dignity in the face of absurdity. The world’s indifference can be transcended by rebellion, a prideful rebellion against one’s condition. So in the face of such insurmountable suffering and need, Camus would admonish the survivors and all of us volunteers to persist to exist. Why should we continue to go? Because transcendence awaits us upon facing this despair. Camus (n.d) writes, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

The volunteers that we shared the weekend with were all invincible heroes. They’ve transcended their ordinary lives by persisting to serve the survivors week after week. Out of the thousands of volunteers, they have persisted in their service. Their numbers is a testament to their persistence and invincibility. Their invincibility results from their consistent self-inquiry as to “why should I go?” Or even simply, “do I want to go?” and deciding to go nevertheless!

Finally, in terms of transcendence and putting things in perspective, I am reminded of an aphorism by Irvin Yalom, AAA = Altitude Attenuates Anxiety. This is about all of us coming to some sort of perspective, whether it’s submitting to a higher order to things, a stance characterized by heroic nihilism or surrendering to a higher power with awe. The ontological mindfulness evident in the lives and sharing of the volunteers testifies to such transcendence.

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References

Camus, A. (1955). The myth of Sisyphus and other essays. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Camus, A. (n.d.). Quotes. Retried January 9, 2010 from http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Albert_Camus.

Frankl, V. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Pocket Books.

Heery, M.,, Bugental, J. (n.d.). Meaning and Transformation: A Journey of Client, Psychotherapist, and Supervisor. Article downloaded on January 10, 2010 from http://www.human-studies.com/articles.html

Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time. New York: Harper & Row.

Montaigne, M. E. (1965). The complete essays of Montaigne (Ed. & Trans., D. Frame). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Yalom, I. D. (2002). The Gift of Therapy. New York: Harper Collins.

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백화골엔 왜 그렇게 외국인들이 몰려드는 걸까 - 오마이뉴스

백화골엔 왜 그렇게 외국인들이 몰려드는 걸까 - 오마이뉴스




사는이야기

광주전라



백화골엔 왜 그렇게 외국인들이 몰려드는 걸까세계 여행자와 유기농사 나누며 5년, 우리를 돌아보다
17.03.30 22:19l최종 업데이트 17.03.30 22:19l
글: 조계환(manrak)
편집: 김대홍(bugulbugul)


공감212 댓글2
【오마이뉴스의 모토는 '모든 시민은 기자다'입니다. 시민 개인의 일상을 소재로 한 '사는 이야기'도 뉴스로 싣고 있습니다. 당신의 살아가는 이야기가 오마이뉴스에 오면 뉴스가 됩니다. 당신의 이야기를 들려주세요.】



큰사진보기
▲ 전북 장수군에서 유기농으로 농사짓는 백화골에서는 2013년부터 세계 여행자 자원봉사 프로그램의 호스트로 활동하고 있습니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

전북 장수군에서 유기농으로 농사짓는 백화골에서 2013년부터 세계 여행자 자원봉사 프로그램의 호스트로 활동하고 있습니다. 하루에 대여섯 시간 정도 일손을 거들어주면 무료로 숙식을 해결해주는 나누기 프로그램입니다. 일손이 필요한 농부와 현지인 집에 머물며 한국 문화를 제대로 느껴보고 싶은 여행자들의 요구가 맞아 떨어지는 셈이지요.

한국 사람들도 잘 모르는 저개발지역인 장수군으로 낯선 외국인들이 오는 것을 보면서 마을 노인분들이 한 마디씩 합니다.

"이런 시골에 왜 외국인들이 오는 거야? 뭐 볼 게 있다고?"


처음에는 우리도 이유를 잘 몰랐습니다. 한 프랑스 친구는 세 번이나 방문해서 한 달씩 머물다 가기도 했습니다. 한국에서 1년 정도 여행하다 프랑스로 돌아가 몇 개월 일을 하고 다시 한국을 방문합니다. 왜 그렇게 한국을 계속 여행하느냐고 물어봤습니다.

대답은 "한국이 너무 좋다"였습니다. 왜 좋은가 물으니 "여러 나라를 여행하다가 우연히 한국에 한 번 왔는데 한국이 너무 좋았다, 특히 활기 넘치는 분위기, 오랜 전통을 가진 음식, 친절하고 따뜻한 사람들이 매력적이다"고 하더군요.


큰사진보기
▲ 프랑스에서 온 친구들과 함께 마늘을 캤습니다. 손바닥이 벗겨질 정도로 힘든 작업이었지만 한국 문화를 좋아하는 친구들이라 함께 즐겁게 일했습니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

역동적으로 변화하는 사회, 5천년 역사와 문화를 가진 나라

이제 5년째, 총 30여 나라에서 온 150여명의 외국 손님들과 지내면서 깨달은 것이 있습니다. 한국도 꽤나 매력적인 나라라는 것입니다. 우리는 말끝마다 '유럽에서는', '미국에서는'을 달고 사는 지식인들과 정치인들(진보건 보수건)이 지배하는 사회에 삽니다.

서구화에 목을 매던 일제가 뼛속 깊숙이 심어 놓은 서구 사대주의와 미국의 영향으로 우리는 서구 사회가 마치 정의롭고 평등하고 아름다운 곳이라는 편견을 가지고 있습니다. 행복도 북유럽에 가서 찾고, 정당 정치도 유럽의 모델을 그대로 한국으로 가지고 옵니다. 그리곤 우리 스스로를 혐오합니다.


큰사진보기
▲ 중국에서 온 고등학교 교사 부부입니다. 중국에서도 이제 막 유기농, 재활용, 환경 문제 등에 사람들이 관심을 가지기 시작했다는 이야기를 전해주었습니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

유기농 농사에 대해서도 마찬가지입니다. 농업 분야에는 희한하게도 농민들은 전혀 쓰지 않는 외래어들이 공무원들이나 농업 연구원들을 통해 여기저기 퍼져 있습니다. 보통 유럽의 유기농이 한국보다 훨씬 발전했을 것이라고 믿습니다.

하지만 농경국가인 한국의 유기농법은 유럽보다 훨씬 오랜 전통과 기술을 가지고 있습니다. 한국은 신석기 시대 이래로 지혜롭게 자연을 보존하고 모든 생활 쓰레기를 퇴비로 만들어 농사지어온 유기농의 원류 국가입니다.

박정희 정권 이후로 화학비료와 화학농약, 제초제가 들어오면서 유기농사가 멈추었지만, 아직도 많은 유기농사법이 고스란히 남아 있습니다. 백화골에서도 한국의 전통적인 유기농법인 다품종 소량생산, 돌려짓기를 통해 농사짓고 있습니다.

어느 나라나 좋은 점과 나쁜 점이 있다


큰사진보기
▲ 몇 년 째 세계 여행을 하는 스페인 친구들이 함께 감자를 캤습니다. 국적은 스페인이지만 독립을 원하는 바르셀로나를 중심으로 한 까달란 지역 친구들이였습니다. 까달란 독립 운동에 대한 이야기가 흥미로웠습니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

우리가 소위 선진국이라고 생각하는 나라들은 대부분 식민지 수탈을 통해 현재의 민주주의와 부를 축적한 나라들입니다. 외국 친구들이 말해주는 한국은 출발선부터가 달랐습니다. 한국 전쟁 이후 모든 것이 파괴된 상태에서 일어난 나라, 세계적으로 유례가 없는 빠른 성장을 이룬 나라, 5천년을 이어오는 역사를 간직한 나라라는 점입니다. 부족한 것도, 문제도 많지만, 어느 나라나 좋은 점과 나쁜 점이 있다는 것입니다.

북유럽에서 온 친구들은 한국 사람들이 북유럽을 이상사회라고 생각한다고 했더니, 모든 나라가 마찬가지지만 좋은 점만 있는 것은 아니라며 일단 겨울이 길고 추워서 날씨 때문에 힘들고, 물가가 너무 비싸서 1년에 외식하는 횟수는 손으로 꼽을 정도라고 합니다.


큰사진보기
▲ 한국 친구와 함께 단호박을 수확한 노르웨이에서 온 친구 리나는 한국말을 아주 잘했습니다. 고등학교 때 제 2외국어로 한국 어를 선택해 공부했다고 합니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

많은 나라 친구들이 하는 이야기는 어느 나라나 좋은 점과 나쁜 점이 있다는 것. 문제가 있으면 고치려고 노력하고, 민중의 힘으로 새로운 역사를 만들어왔던 한국은 가능성 있는 멋진 나라라는 것입니다.

역동적인 한국의 유기농 농부로 산다

외국 친국들이 최고로 뽑는 한국의 매력은 '역동성'입니다. 겨울 내내 1500만 명의 국민이 거리에 뛰쳐나와 평화 시위로 대통령을 탄핵시킨 것은 역사적으로 찾아보기 힘듭니다.

보통 시위가 일어나면 사람들이 흥분해서 각종 폭력 사태가 일어나기 마련이고, 시간이 지나면서 어떤 시위든 사그라들기 마련입니다. 하지만 한국 사람들은 달랐습니다. 그 어떤 나라에서도 이루지 못한 평화로운 시위를 통해 새로운 시대를 열어가고 있습니다.



▲ 2017년 봄, 또 엄청난 격변의 한 해가 될 이 뜨거운 한국에서 우리는 언제나처럼 유기농 농부로서의 자리를 지키며 한국의 문화와 유기농 정신을 세계 여행자들과 함께 나누어나갈 계획입니다.
ⓒ 조계환

관련사진보기

올해도 많은 외국 친구들이 한국을 방문하고 우리 농장을 방문하고 싶다고 연락을 합니다. 사실 외국인들을 처음 만났을 때는 다른 나라에 대해서도, 한국에 대해서도 편견이 많았습니다.

하지만 이제는 세계 여러 나라에 대해 깊이 이해하게 되었고, 특히 한국에 대해 더 많은 관심을 가지게 되었습니다. 타인의 거울을 통해 자신의 모습을 발견하게 된 셈입니다. 새롭게 시작되는 2017년 봄, 또 엄청난 격변의 한 해가 될 이 뜨거운 한국에서 우리는 언제나처럼 유기농 농부로서의 자리를 지키며 한국의 문화와 유기농 정신을 세계 여행자들과 함께 나누어나갈 계획입니다.


저작권자(c) 오마이뉴스(시민기자), 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지 오탈자 신고
태그:#여행자자원봉사, #백화골, #유기농, #외국인 여행자, #한국

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Avalokitesvara (film) - Wikipedia

Avalokitesvara (film) - Wikipedia

Avalokitesvara (film)

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Avalokitesvara
Poster
Traditional	不肯去觀音
Simplified	不肯去观音
Mandarin	Bù Kén Qù Guān Yīn
Directed by	Zhang Xin
Produced by	Xu Jian
Written by	Sun Zuping Zhou Kailong Tao Qianni
Starring	Li Chun Nie Yuan Nakaizumi Hideo Siqin Gaowa Nakano Ryoko Mou Fengbin
Music by	Wu Xuan
Cinematography	Chen Xinning Jiang Xiaohui Liu Huayi
Edited by	Zhou Ying
Production company	Beijing Spencer Culture & Media
Distributed by	China Film Group Corporation
Release date	26 July 2013
Running time	117 minutes
Country	China
Languages	Mandarin Japanese

Avalokitesvara, also known as Bu Ken Qu Guan Yin (literally "the Guanyin who refuses to leave"), is a 2013 Chinese religious film directed by Zhang Xin. It is loosely based on a legend about how Mount Putuo in China's Zhejiang Province became the bodhimaṇḍa of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who is better known in Chinese as Guanyin. The film starred Li Chun, Nie Yuan, Nakaizumi Hideo, Siqin Gaowa, Nakano Ryoko and Mou Fengbin in the leading roles. It was shown at the 37th Montreal World Film Festival in 2013 and was named one of the four World Greats.^[1]

Contents

• 1Plot
• 2Cast
• 3Production
• 4Awards
• 5References
• 6External links

Plot[edit]

The film is set in China during the reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang dynasty. Li Yi, the Prince Guang, a relative of the emperor, has been sickly since childhood. His mother, Lady Zheng, commissions Yu Xiufeng, a craftsman from Mount Meicen, to create a porcelain figurine of Guanyin so that she can pray to the bodhisattva to bless her son with good health. On the day the figurine is completed, Yu Xiufeng and his grandson, Haisheng, discover a baby girl in a lotus pond. Yu Xiufeng adopts the baby girl as his granddaughter and names her "Lianmei" ("lotus sister"). The figurine is taken to Mount Wutai and enshrined in a Buddhist temple there.

In 845 CE, Emperor Wuzong orders the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution because he thinks that Buddhism is corrupting the masses. He also senses that Prince Guang will become a threat to him, so he sends General Yuchi to assassinate the prince. At the same time, Reverend Wuchen asks Yu Xiufeng to collect the figurine from Mount Wutai and hide it at Mount Meicen. During the journey, Yu Xiufeng and his grandchildren meet Egaku, a Japanese Buddhist monk sent by Empress Tachibana to find and bring the figurine to Japan. As Lady Zheng had secretly tasked General Yuchi's deputy, General Sima, with protecting her son, Sima saves Prince Guang when Yuchi is about to kill him. Sima defeats Yuchi in a duel and wants to finish him off, but Lianmei stops him and asks him to spare Yuchi. Prince Guang and Sima accompany Yu Xiufeng, Lianmei and Haisheng as they bring the figurine back to Mount Meicen. Egaku finds out later and makes his way to Mount Meicen too.

Yuchi tracks down Prince Guang with the help of the governor of Mingzhou. Lianmei and Haisheng disguise themselves as Prince Guang and Sima in order to lure Yuchi to chase them, while the real Prince Guang and Sima use the opportunity to escape. Yu Xiufeng stays behind to distract Governor Song, who kills him when refuses to reveal the prince's whereabouts. Yuchi finds out that he has been tricked so he stops chasing Lianmei and Haisheng. In the meantime, Egaku finds the figurine and tries to sneak away with it. When Haisheng and Lianmei return home, they are horrified to see their grandfather dead. Haisheng sees Egaku fleeing and immediately suspects that Egaku killed his grandfather and stole the figurine, so he chases Egaku, catches up with him, and starts beating him. Lianmei stops Haisheng and tells him she believes Egaku when he claims he is innocent. However, she refuses to let Egaku take the figurine with him. Egaku feels so ashamed of himself that he gives up and returns to Japan.

Lianmei and Haisheng are captured later at a roadblock in Mingzhou by the governor, who seizes the figurine from them. The governor then tries to bribe Yuchi to help him cover up for his failure to hunt down Prince Guang, but Yuchi refuses and accuses him of corruption. Meanwhile, Haisheng escapes from the prison and drags Lianmei along with him. Yuchi is furious when he learns of their escape and orders the other prisoners to be executed. However, Lianmei succeeds in convincing Haisheng to go back to the prison with her because she knows what would happen if they escaped. Yuchi is so impressed by Lianmei's act of self-sacrifice that he spares the prisoners.

Yuchi sets a trap to lure Prince Guang out of hiding. He announces that Lianmei and Haisheng will be executed for helping a fugitive escape, and predicts that Prince Guang will come to save them. As expected, the prince appears and turns himself in to Yuchi in exchange for Lianmei and Haisheng's release. However, Sima also shows up and fights with Yuchi and his soldiers to save Prince Guang. Just then, a messenger arrives with an imperial edict announcing that Emperor Wuzong is dead and that Prince Guang will succeed him. Yuchi commits suicide in shame for failing to complete his mission. Prince Guang returns to the palace for his coronation, while Lianmei and Haisheng bring the figurine back to Mount Wutai.

Egaku travels to China again later to ask for the figurine. Reverend Wuchen initially rejects his request. However, Egaku eventually manages to convince everyone of his sincerity by kneeling outside the temple for several days, so Wuchen allows him to bring the figurine to Japan. When Egaku's ship sails past Mount Meicen, Lianmei rows towards the ship on a raft because she cannot bear to see the figurine leave. A fierce storm suddenly breaks out and causes the figurine to be cast overboard. When the storm has subsided, Egaku is deeply saddened to learn that Lianmei and the figurine are lost at sea. Just then, lotuses appear all over the water surface. Egaku sees a vision of Lianmei as Guanyin on Mount Meicen, and realises that he is not destined to bring the figurine back to Japan. However, he can bring back the virtues embodied by the bodhisattva – such as compassion and mercy – and impart them to his people.

Cast[edit]

• Li Chun as Lianmei, the human incarnation of Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin).
• Nie Yuan as Li Yi, the Prince Guang, a prince and relative of Emperor Wuzong. He becomes the new Emperor after Emperor Wuzong's death.
• Nakaizumi Hideo as Egaku, a Japanese Buddhist monk tasked with finding the Guanyin figurine and bringing it back to Japan.
• Siqin Gaowa as Lady Zheng, Prince Guang's mother.
• Nakano Ryoko as Empress Tachibana, the Empress of Japan.
• Mou Fengbin as General Yuchi, a general sent by Emperor Wuzong to assassinate Prince Guang.
• Wang Zengqi as Haisheng, Yu Xiufeng's grandson.
• Niu Ben as Yu Xiufeng, a craftsman who created the porcelain figurine. He adopts Lianmei as his granddaughter.
• Sang Weilin as General Sima, a general secretly tasked by Lady Zheng to protect Prince Guang.
• Kuroki Shinji as Aoki, a Japanese Buddhist monk who follows Egaku to ask for the figurine.
• Fang Xinmin as Reverend Wuchen, the abbot of the Buddhist temple on Mount Wutai.
• Zhang Shengbao as Governor Song, the governor of Mingzhou (modern Ningbo).
• Ying Lizhi as Eunuch Ma, a eunuch who serves Emperor Wuzong.
• Wang Jianguo as a fisherman

Production[edit]

Avalokitesvara was approved by China's State Administration for Religious Affairs and State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television before it starting filming on 6 June 2012 at Mount Putuo, Zhejiang Province. It opened in Chinese theatres on 26 July 2013.^[2]

Venerable Master Yicheng, a former President of the Buddhist Association of China, served as principal consultant for the film.^[3]

Awards[edit]

Avalokitesvara was shown at the 37th Montreal World Film Festival in 2013. It was named one of the World Greats along with Mitani Kōki's The Kiyosu Conference, Wang Jing's Fall of Ming, and Ren Pengyuan's The Deadly Bullet.^[1]

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:^a b Cremin, Stephen (7 August 2013). "China, Japan dominate Montreal's Asian lineup". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
2. ^ "佛教电影：不肯去观音 [Buddhist Movie: Avalokitesvara]". Sina.com (in Chinese). 26 January 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
3. ^ "一诚长老 学诚法师 怡学法师为《不肯去观音》题词寄语 [Venerable Masters Yicheng, Xuecheng and Yixue write calligraphy for "Avalokitesvara"]". ifeng.com (in Chinese). 25 July 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

External links[edit]

• Avalokitesvara at IMDb

Categories: 

• 2013 films
• Films about Buddhism
• Chinese films
• 2010s historical adventure films
• Chinese historical adventure films
• Films set in 9th-century Tang dynasty
• Films shot in Zhejiang
• Films set in Zhejiang
• Films set in Shanxi