Akong - A Remarkable Life Film Screenings

24 Apr 2017

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 A brief synopsis

Akong – A Remarkable Life tells the story of Akong Tulku Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist master, compelled to flee his homeland at the height of Sino-Tibetan tensions and forced into exile into unknown lands. Later he would become, along with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, one of the key pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism in the West.

At a young age, Akong becomes the Abbot of Dolma Lhakang monastery in Eastern Tibet and the path of his life seems fixed. However, political turmoil changes everything as in 1959 he is reluctantly forced to flee his homeland on a dangerous journey whose end is uncertain.

During the ten month escape across the Himalayas to India, Akong comes close to death, being one of only 13 of 300 compatriots to survive the arduous journey. As he lay, near death, in a cave in the Himalayas, he makes a promise that, if he survives, he will devote his life to helping others.

He makes it to India only to battle life-threatening tuberculosis. There Akong meets an Englishwoman, Freda Bedi, who runs a refugee camp in harrowing conditions. Together they create a home for young refugee Lamas, which Akong manages for three years until Freda arranges for him to travel to Britain along with his friend Trungpa Rinpoche.

In 1967 they co-found Samye Ling, in Scotland, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the West.

In 1992 he is chosen as a member of the search party seeking the rebirth of the His Holiness, the Gyalwang Karmapa, head of one of the main lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.

Akong increasingly turns his mind to the suffering and hunger of people and embarks on numerous projects to help. Most notably he co-founds an international humanitarian charitable organisation called “ROKPA”, the Tibetan word for help. He works incessantly founding schools and orphanages, providing home and education for former street children, as well as providing food, shelter and essential medical supplies in countries such as Tibet and Nepal and in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Akong’s fundamental message of compassion-in-action shines through and his example inspires thousands of people to work to make the world a better place. A number of those he inspired recount his story in the film.

Akong Rinpoche was in Chengdu, China in October 2013, about to embark on the latest of many humanitarian missions to Tibet, where he was murdered, senselessly, along with an attendant and his nephew. Despite this sad and shocking end to a remarkable life, the film ends on a message of hope.

For information about tickets please got to
https://www.facebook.com/pg/AKONGaremarkablelife/events/  
or contact the venue or centre. 

 

        'AKONG - a Remarkable Life' timetable of screenings so far

Buccleuch Centre, LANGHOLM

Cinema

25th April 7.30pm

Roselidden, Helston, CORNWALL

Cinema

29th April 7.30pm

GLASGOW Film Theatre

Cinema

3rd May 6pm

KSD Cape Town

Centre

10th May

KSD Kensington, Jo'berg, SAfrica

Centre

Saturday 13th May

Lonsdale Alhambra PENRITH

Cinema

14th May 6pm

SHEFFIELD Hallam University

The 'Void' Cinema

15th May 5.30pm

Stove Cinema DUMFRIES

Cinema

18th May 7pm

Strode Theatre, Strode College, STREET, Somerset

College

19th May 7.30pm

Buddhist Society, LONDON

Wed. 24th May 7pm

Zutphen, Holland

Centre

25th May

Randburg, Jo'berg South Africa

Centre

May

Lamlash High School, ARRAN

1st June 7.30pm

Samye Ling Conference

Centre

16th June

Scottish Parliament

21st June

Robert Burns Cinema, DUMFRIES (Repeat screening)

Cinema

23rd June 7.30pm

Harare Buddhist Centre (KSLZ)

Centre

25th June 7.30pm

Waterfall Retreat Durban South Africa

Centre

25th June

Labia Theatre, Cape Town

Cinema

25th June 6pm

Grahamstown Arts Festival S Africa

Cinema

1st & 6th July

CARDIFF Samye Dzong

Centre

? July

Tara Rokpa Summer camp, Germany

Centre

16th July

EDINBURGH Samye Dzong

Centre

30th September

SOAS, LONDON

University

October

Website: http://www.akong-remarkablelife.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AKONGaremarkablelife/#

Chico Dall’Inha, Director: chico@chicodallinha.com

Vin Harris, Executive Producer: trust@hartknowe.org

The Buddhist principle is to be everybody's friend, not to have any enemy.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Meditation means simple acceptance.
Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
Only the impossible is worth doing.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Whenever we see something which could be done to bring benefit to others, no matter how small, we should do it.
Chamgon Khentin Tai Situ Rinpoche
Freedom is not something you look for outside of yourself. Freedom is within you.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Hasten slowly, you will soon arrive.
Jetsun Milarepa
It doesn’t matter whatever comes, stop judging and it won’t bother you.
Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
Whatever obstacles arise, if you deal with them through kindness without trying to escape then you have real freedom.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
To tame ourselves is the only way we can change and improve the world.
Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Strive always to be as kind, gentle and caring as possible towards all forms of sentient life.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Every sentient being is equal to the Buddha.
Chamgon Kentin Tai Situ Rinpoche
Wherever and whenever we can, we should develop compassion at once.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Reminding ourselves of how others suffer and mentally putting ourselves in their place, will help awaken our compassion.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche