The Buddha never claimed to be God, or his emissary on earth. He was a human being who, in a world of unavoidable pain and suffering, found serenity which he said others could find too. Why do human beings suffer? What constitutes ethical behavior? How is it possible to find peace and serenity? These were questions which the Buddha asked, and which the film explores by giving an account of his spiritual journey. The documentary is woven through with animation and draws upon paintings and sculptures across two millennia by some of the world’s greatest artists, as well as fragments of the Buddha’s world still present in India and Nepal today.
Emmy Nomination - Documentary Writing
Webby Award
"I have seen many a film on Buddha, but few of them have succeeded as well as this one in so lucidly and compellingly presenting the transformative elements of Buddha’s dharma.”
– America Magazine
Paul Knitter | Professor, Union Theological Seminary
“By telling the life story of the Buddha and letting us hear directly from some very articulate Buddhists, in clear and accessible terms, what the stories mean to them, the film manages to convey the essence of Buddhist teaching ... It's high-class stuff.”
– Slate
“THE BUDDHA might be a step on a path to further enlightenment.”
– Philadelphia Daily News
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