A brief discussion on the use of Buddhist elements in movies

? When watching movies recently, I discovered an interesting phenomenon: more and more movies include Buddhist elements, Buddhist viewpoints and images of monks in their films. However, there are only a few people who use it properly and many people who make mistakes improperly, such as "Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings" which is currently being released.

? The drama "Four Heavenly Kings" is generally acceptable, and its theme of advocating letting go of hatred and past grievances is also quite positive, but there is a "major failure" in the last scene! This scene is about Master Yuanzhi kneeling down to Di Renjie to thank him for pointing out that his practice deviated from the middle path and lacked compassion to save all sentient beings. The plot design of monks kneeling down to worship ordinary people is very unreasonable! Master Huiyuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty once wrote "The Theory of Recluses Who Disrespect the King", which systematically elaborated on the reasons why monks do not need to adhere to secular etiquette. As one of the three treasures of Buddhism, monks are the backbone of the pursuit of Buddhism and the transformation of sentient beings. Even kings can be disrespected, let alone mere mortals. Minister of Dali Temple? Master Yuanzhi came out of seclusion to succumb to the demons and protect the lives of the emperor and the ministers. This was already the greatest thank you. How could Di Renjie be able to bear the kneeling ceremony again? !

Another movie that made common sense mistakes is "Buddha Plus". This movie, which won five Golden Horse Awards and had a Douban score of 8.6, had a huge bug in the plot! That is the climax of the film - the owner of the factory that made the Buddha statue hid the body inside the hollow Buddha statue after killing the person, creating a perfect crime scene. If the film producers understood the Buddhist ritual of "pretending to hide" (see the picture below for what "pretending" is), they would not have designed such a plot, because the murderer's behavior of hiding the corpse would have been discovered during the hiding process, and there would have been no There will be further advancement of the plot. It would be a joke to use it without knowing anything about Buddhist culture.

? Relatively speaking, I think Chen Kaige's "The Legend of the Demon Cat" is quite appropriate in its application of Buddhist perspectives. For example, after the young alchemist discovered the cruel reality that his beloved concubine was being used as a scapegoat, he felt sad and desperate, and determined to find a way out of the pain. So he became a monk and eventually became a generation of eminent monks, and passed on the Tantric Dharma to the Japanese monk Kukai who came across the sea to seek Dharma, and the latter became a generation of famous monks in Japan. It is in line with Buddhist teachings to renounce and seek liberation out of disgust with the suffering of the world. For example, scenes such as Bai Yu being obsessed with the beauty of the imperial concubine and trying every means to keep it but unable to do so, and the scene of the blissful banquet that was extremely luxurious and enjoyable but gone in the blink of an eye, etc., are all based on the Buddhist view that all dharmas are impermanent and all feelings are suffering. Vivid embodiment.

? Another movie that is more in line with Buddhist teachings is "Xuan Zang of the Tang Dynasty" directed by Huo Jianqi. This is a very serious and sincere work. I personally think Huang Xiaoming's acting skills in this movie are excellent. It belongs to the upper level. There are two scenes that impressed me the most. One is when Master Xuanzang finally came to Nalanda Temple (the temple for Buddhist learning at that time - the largest university in the world) after going through all kinds of difficulties and dangers to meet the principal, Master Jiexian. Unable to suppress his excitement, he knelt down on the ground, crawled forward, and bowed to his master. Master Jiexian was also very happy to see Master Xuanzang arriving. He said to Xuanzang: I have been waiting for you! This sincere master-disciple relationship, with sincerity in seeking the Dharma and eagerness to pass on the Dharma, is extremely touching. I remember that a mage posted his review of the movie on WeChat and said that this scene made him burst into tears. I can relate to this feeling.

? The second scene is that Master Xuanzang talks about the Invincible Hand of India at the Uncensored Conference held by King Harsha. He is revered as the Mahayana Heaven and the Heaven of Liberation. He parades on the throne of the Elephant King and accepts the whole city. People worship. The film uses the technique of stacked mirrors to show the figures of two masters Xuanzang at the same time. One is sitting on a high seat and receiving the respect of everyone, while the other is standing next to the master, Master Jiexian, smiling at everything that is happening in front of him, and silently saying in his heart: It is time. Back to the Tang Dynasty. This scene shocked me deeply. When people are in high positions and enjoy great fame, they are often easily blinded by desire and desire to make their fame and wealth more expanded and longer. Few people can maintain a clear mind and never forget their original intentions when they are in high positions and powerful. . Master Xuanzang always kept in mind his purpose of going to Tianzhu to obtain the true scriptures - to spread the pure Dharma to the Han Dynasty so that more people could hear the true Dharma and obtain liberation.

Master Xuanzang, who returned to Chang'an, repeatedly turned down the emperor's invitations to seek state affairs, and devoted himself to running a translation studio, translating scriptures and lecturing on doctrines, and made great contributions to the development of Chinese Buddhism! "Xuan Zang of the Tang Dynasty" uses a popular film medium to tell the story of the Buddhist scriptures that actually happened in history, and restores the true face of Master Sanzang of the Tang Dynasty who has been repeatedly tampered with by jokes. This attitude of not catering, not afraid of difficulties, and not joking deserves respect!

? In summary, Buddhism has experienced thousands of years of development and integration since it was introduced to China, and has become an integral part of Chinese culture, subtly influencing the way Chinese people think and behave. Incorporating Buddhist elements and using Buddhist viewpoints in movies places high demands on directors and screenwriters. Those who only know the basics of Buddhism and use it rashly are likely to make jokes and end up with a thankless ending. I hope that directors and screenwriters who want to make a difference in this area in the future can work harder and do their homework before starting the movie. The audience can feel the efforts and sincerity of the producers!