一轮明月

This show made a great start to the following series of movies in this years Buddhist Film festive. Hope to blog down some thoughts to remind myself what I have learnt and also share with any passerbys :)

Not going into the details of the show but basically the show depicts the life history of Great Master Hong Yi. The director has successfully bring out the chaotic situations during the wars, nature disasters, sufferings as well as cultures and tradition of the revoluntionary time of china. It does not use lotsa colourful effects or filming techniques but I would say their chinese language used are rather hard to follow. But anyone will not feel hard to grasp the important meanings behind the show.

Usually when talking about religious figures we tend to mystify or "godify" a character to make in more profane and worthy of respect. But this show never did any of those. Ven Hong Yi, like most young people, wild our time in non productive activities and romances. But it is the ability for him to truly see and acknowledge himself for who he is makes us so different from him.

In seeing how fame and good times never last more than a moment, he renounced and joined the Sangha. It might be very easy to conclude that he was so selfish to abandon his wife. There was a scene when he has taken the tonsure. His wife asked ven Hong Yi whats "LOVE" and his reply is "Love is compassion". He has going forth to be a monk because he has great compassion far surpass our mundane passions.

Although the sufferings caught in the film makes me emotional but i remember the part when my eyes were wet is when some devotee ask the masters to seat on the sedan. The masters replied saying "How can I seat when seating on the sedan is on the expense of the sweat by the carriers".

I find that what makes the great different from us is the great and wise thinks of others before self. And they conduct their life in the strictest possible way never to slack in their way.

No matter how much we studied the Dharma or helps out in Dharma propagation, nothing ever comes near even to a novice monk that have decided to renounce the earthly longings and go forth to the homeless.

This show push me futher to rethink whether the goals and beliefs I have hold deeply needs some revamping work!