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'Tulku,' the first film of its kind, tells a story of a young man trying to find his role in traditional Tibetan Buddhism while living a modern life. (NFB)
Gesar Mukpo, the son of a Tibetan father and a Western mother, was enthroned at age three as the reincarnation of Shechen Kongtrul Rinpoche, a Tibetan teacher, who is believed to have died in a Chinese prison during the Great Cultural Revolution. Born in Berkeley, California Gesar has turned his unique life experience into a documentary exploring the lives of young people caught between the modern culture they were born into and the ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture they inherited.
Tulkus are believed to be incarnated Tibetan Buddhist masters. Dating back to the 16th century Tibet, a tradition began that when a Buddhist master died he would be reincarnated in a young child. Tulkus were recognized and appointed at a very young age—anywhere from birth to six years old. A familiar example would be the tulku lineage of the Dalai Lama.
Beginning in the 1970’s tulkus began to be found in the West, and some of them were not ethnically Tibetan. The documentary Tulku, a first-of-its-kind film presented by the National Film Board of Canada, describes such a case. Gesar Mukpo, the writer and director of the film, tells a vivid story of Western tulkus through his own experience and the experience of other young western tulkus.
Growing up as a Western tulku, Mukpo has continuously attempted to find his role in the world and understand what it means to be a Western tulku. Traveling throughout Canada, England, Germany, India, Tibet and Nepal, he encountered many Buddhist masters—some of whom were students of Shechen. He also met several other Western tulkus who shared many of the same difficulties in understanding their role in the world and the Buddhist tradition they inherited.
He does not recall much of what he knew in his previous lifetime, apart from “having some memories of walking up the hillside [in Tibet]. “The buildings in Tibet were exactly as I remembered them,” he says. Not your average traditional Buddhist, Gesar still appreciates that he has “found a tradition with compassion and kindness” in this lifetime.
Choosing not to live in a traditional monastery, Mukpo currently leads a more or less ordinary life in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He sees value in the tradition he was drawn into at such a young age and seeks to “self-discover” and “self-improve”—things he considers to be important as a Western Buddhist.
Tulku will be screened at the Touched by Tibet film festival at the Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver, B.C.) on Saturday, June 13th at 6:30pm.
For a trailer of “Tulku,” please see www.nfb.ca/film/tulku_trailer/