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Sonam!
Oh no, not again!
Ladakh, India.
Altitude: 4500m and more...
How long?
Three years, three months,
three weeks and three days.
Tashi,
we are taking you back.
Tashi,
it is time.
Tashi, you pushed it too far.
"How can one prevent a drop of water
from ever drying up?"
Apo is back...
Kala!
- Now, I must leave.
- Safe return!
No! I want to go home!
Tashi...
did you cry
when your father left you here?
Le head lama,
His holiness Chen Tulku
will be performing a
sacred initiation in five days.
He asks that you attend.
So prince Siddhartha
left his palace
and luxurious life...
And from his golden chariot...
saw suffering
for the first time!
Thus one night,
prince Siddhartha
decided to leave
his beautiful wife,
Princesse Yashodhara,
and his son, Rahul, and go away.
He left his son?
Well, yes.
Because he wanted to find out
the true cause of suffering and...
I want to go home!
Tashi, Rinpochey is here!
After twenty years studying
in our monastery
Lama Tashi completed
three years of meditation,
Truly this is the
path towards Nirvana.
His Holiness Dhyan Rinpochey
has therefore awarded
Lama Tashi
the precious Khenpo degree
in recognition of his achievement.
He's a very good monk!
Kala, you monkey!
Tashi... You spoke!
It was him!
Kala, do you hear me?
Long live Rinpochey!
For Tashi the precious degree of Khenpo...
but for Kala... nothing!
Jhulley! Tashi Delek!
Hail!
Hail!
to the Four Noble Truths!
Who is he?
Tashi.
Hurry up!
Can you tell me what's going on?
Apo, bring Lama Tashi with you
tomorrow for the harvest ceremony.
He needs some fresh air.
Tashi, next time you wish to modify a performance,
please let me know in advance.
Welcome!
Jhuley.
Where is Tenzin Thorgay's house?
Right there.
Come, I'll take you there.
Tashi Delek, jhulley, welcome.
Apo?
My head...
Last night I have...
Yes, I know.
Dreams are like that sometimes.
So is Tashi still dreaming?
You see, even you can be angry.
Here, the map.
You leave at dawn.
It is time to choose.
Kala!
Kala!
What's up with you today?!
When did you
learn to read maps?
Jhulley, Tashi Delek!
Jhulley, I am Tashi.
The venerable Khenpo Apo sends me.
No speech?
Understood.
Only body and mind.
Thank you.
Every experience helps
to find the Way
Where is Apo?
Even He was allowed
a worldly existence
until he was 29!
But since the age of five,
I've been living like Buddha
after He renounced to the world.
How do we know
that His Enlightenment
was not a direct result of
His worldly existence too?
Apo!
What about the promised freedom
resulting from the strict monastic discipline?
And where is the promised satisfaction
from our vow of celibacy?
"You should not accept
my teachings on hearsay
"unless and until
you understand it
"from your own point of view",
he said once.
There are things
we must unlearn...
in order to learn them.
And there are things
we must own
in order to renounce them.
Your dream back in the village
wasn't a dream.
But...
Kala! It's me!
Come see me tomorrow.
We'll talk about it.
Dolma,
we have another mouth to feed.
A nomad.
I told him he could work
until the harvest was done.
That way, I'll have less work.
And of course,
it'll increase mine!
Sujata, here.
Oh mother,
I need some more.
Pema...
Go bring some food
to that new hardworking guy.
And tell him he can even
stop to eat it!
Enough, father!
Hey Mister!
Take a little rest,
make a little break for lunch.
Pema!
Pema, wait!
Don't tell me you
you did this for me...
No, I did it for myself as well.
But why?
I am sorry
if this is my fault.
Shhh... Pema please.
Maybe I was wrong
to do that
but all I wanted to do was
to comfort you for a moment.
And look now!
Are you sure that it was
all about a momentary comfort?
If it is so,
then I'll be gone
before the sun rises.
From now on you will go out wearing this!
Roaming here and there!
I gave you a job and this is
your way to thank me?
Oh, is it you!? Forgive me!
Why are you asking for forgiveness?
He used to be a Lama,
but he is no more!
Mum...
Slowly...
Pema,
what are we going to do?
You family has already accepted
my engagement with you.
I know.
What do you want me to do?
I have nothing else but you.
An astrologer will come tomorrow,
I'll let him determine my destiny.
Pema, but why an astrologer?Planets indicate the 10th would be
an auspicious date for the wedding.
So fix it for that day.
Please tell me,
whom the wedding is with?
With whom?
I think it was all decided last night!
Jamayang came to see me
and requested me to come here
to fix the wedding date
of Pema and Tashi.
Why?
Why did you do it?
Jamayang?
Even if the decision was
in my favor,
you wouldn't have married me anyway!
Would you?
The woman will dominate!
The woman will dominate!
Hey, stop, eat now!
You'll cry later.
Something is wrong.
Who is he?
My husband!
What's going on?
After all the years
we've worked together.
Tenzin, you allow him
to doubt me?
Now you can cry, my son.
You better start building
a new granary.
You're going to need a lot
of storage space from now on!
Tashi, we're satisfied
in what we get.
Besides, you have to sell it to him.
No one else comes to this valley!
Let me take the harvest to town!
I'll sell it all.
We'll teach Dawa a lesson!
And what makes you think
those city guys will buy from us?
What is that?
For a safe journey.
One ticket, five Rupees.
Two tickets, ten Rupees.
You see, even notes don't
fit in your purse!
Wow, incredible!
More than twice of what Dawa pays!
Guess what?
Now the bank-notes
fit into my purse!
Your father's gone with Tashi.
I know.
Don't you understand!
Why change a traditional practice?
Dawa always bought
everyone's crop for years!
It's dangerous to oppose him.
Jamayang. Go fetch my mother!
Quick!
Now who would this be?
It's me!
So it seems you've been to town?
We've been working.
I can see that.
Hiding your grain?
That's easy.
Hiding from me, that's harder!
You better remember that.
Besides, what did I tell you?
He's ruining the whole valley!
Look at you!
***.
It's Pema! The baby's coming!
No! Women only!
I see...
A great soul has reborn here!
What a beautiful boy!
A great spirit has surely returned.
Are you a Tulku, Karma?
So it's settled?
Sujata's next.
No!
Keep all the money!
Just keep passing it on to me!
Pema knows what to do.
She always pays me
the day we leave.
And how long has that been?
I am nineteen...
Figure out the rest!
Your money!
I wish you a safe return.
See you next year!
Karma, that's very good.
This wood is so heavy...
Oh, you're still carrying it!
What's inside, Apa?
- Meat.
- Where does it come from?
From a goat.
Did you have to kill the goat
to take its meat?
Yes.
But mother says
we shouldn't kill any creature,
not even an insect!
We didn't kill the goat.
Someone did it for us.
Why didn't we kill the
goat ourselves, Apa?
Stop talking and eat, Karma.
Stop! Wear something warm.
Let him go.
But it's freezing outside!
Let him find that out.
It is freezing!
So you see,
I told you it's freezing outside.
Is everything all right?
It's just... the migrant workers.
Maybe we don't need
so many.
I sometimes wonder if
we need them at all.
They cost so much money!
I want you to tell me
what will happen to that stick.
It will drown!
Suppose it doesn't.
It will get stuck...
in the rocks!
Suppose it doesn't get stuck.
We don't really need
all these workers.
What is it you suddenly have
against our poor workers?
It'll stay in the water and rot!
No.
It will get stuck
in a whirlpool...
...or it can go down
with a waterfall
and break.
Suppose even that doesn't happen.
What then?
Do you give up?
The answer's simple.
The stick will reach the sea!
We're all like this stick.
Our world is like a river.
Jamayang, congratulations!
I heard you are soon
going to be married.
By the way...
we're taking our harvest
into town.
Don't you think it's time
you joined us?
I only sell to Dawa,
like my father and I always have.
Think a little,
you know Dawa cheats you.
After all these years...
you still don't know
how things work here,
do you?
We're back! And look!
Apa!
What did you do
when you were a boy?
He always made his own toys.
Go now!
Jamayang,
Please, you don't need him any more.
Hey stop!
I don't even know why
I bother with this valley.
Jamayang, let him go. Listen...
And prepare yourselves to
eat all what you grow!
Believe me!
You can sell it in
the town with us.
That's the best way.
You chased him away!
Everything you touch,
you ruin it!
Dawa!
Jamayang is hot-headed.
He'll calm down once he's married.
Let him go...
and follow his own way.
Ama!
Karma, stay outside please.
Karma, you can come in now.
What's the matter with him?
I told you we shouldn't
make love in front of him!
Apa says we save
over half the crop.
Everyone came to help us.
The whole valley.
It's you, isn't it?
Why would I do a thing like that?
You're insane.
It wasn't me.
Then who?
Who?
Take a guess!
You fool,
why don't you try
asking you neighbors?
You think I burnt your field?
No one does suuch things here.
Grow up!
And you guys,
thank you for joining us.
Now why don't you
stay for dinner too!
Are you sure you're old enough
to do business in town?
I'm a man now!
For a safe journey.
- Is Pema in?
- No.
We leave...
Can I have my money?
Okay.
How old are you?
You ask me that every year!
Be careful, it is fragile.
- I hear something!
- Don't move!
Hurry! Pema's coming!
My sari, you tore it!
You must leave now.
Hurry up! Leave.
What are you still doing here?
Peam's here.
Calm down.
Why are you so worried?
She told me this would happen.
Look Apa, a pony just like yours!
I made it myself.
That's good.
This is for you.
Very nice. Thanks.
Aren't you going to...
Later, I have some work.
...try it on?
Tashi!
Sonam!
It's about Apo?
When apo knew it was time,
he went to prepare himself
in the sacred cave.
He asked that I accompany him.
We both meditated together
until...
He asked that
I give you this.
I realized now that my
task is not over,
and so I will be
returning to Samsara.
I know that we shall meet again.
Perhaps when we do...
...you'll be able to tell me
what is important:
satisfying one thousand desires
or conquering just one.
Yours, Apo.
I've heard so much about
wild-weddings in your region!
And for your marriage,
I should be there...
but you know
I can't leave the farm.
It feels so strange knowing
I won't be coming back
next year.
Look after yourself.
Yashodhara...
Do you know that name?
Prince Siddhartha, Gautama,
Shakyamuni, Buddha...
Everybody knows these names
but "Yashodhara"?
Yashodhara was married to Siddhartha.
She loved him dearly.
One night, Siddhartha left her
and their son, Rahul,
to seek Enlightenment
and to become Buddha.
He did not even say
a word when he left.
Yashodhara has shown compassion
for the sick and ailing
long before Siddhartha
was even aware of suffering!
Who can say if he owed
his Enlightenment to her?
Pema...
Perhaps Yashodhara wanted
to leave Siddhartha et Rahul.
How can we ever know
if Yashodhara fell victim to anger,
loneliness or bitterness
after Siddhartha left her?
Who even thought about her?
What must she have said
when Rahul, her son
asked the eternal question:
"Where is my father?"
What must she have told him?
How could a mother leave
her own child,
in the middle of the night?
It is only possible
for a man to do.
Tashi... Only for a man.
Yashodhara had no choice
but to lead a life of renunciation.
She cut off her hair
and lived like an ascetic.
Oh Tashi...
If your thoughts towards Dharma
were of the same intensity
as the love and passion
you have shown me,
you would have become a Buddha
in this very body,
in this very life.
Pema,
forgive me.
I am going back with you.
Back where I belong.
"How can one prevent a drop of
water from ever drying up?"
By throwing it into the sea.