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The Falun Gong have morphed from a fringe religious group to a growing political force. They’re a familiar sight exercising and meditating in suburban parks around the world. A joint Foreign Correspondent-Background Briefing investigation delves into the opaque world of Falun Gong and its mysterious leader Master Li Hongzhi.
2) Buddhism
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In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Buddhism with Hyon Gak Sunim, guiding teacher of the Seoul International Zen Center at Hwa Gye Sah Temple in Seoul, South Korea. Topics of discussion include the principle of nowness; the meaning of dukkha; the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path; Buddhist resonances with the teachings of Jesus and Socrates; the Buddhist temple experience; how Hyon Gak Sunim, raised a Roman Catholic...
3) Hinduism
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In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about Hinduism with Sadhvi Vrnda Chaitanya of Arsha Vijnana Mandiram. Topics of discussion include the history of Hinduism; the Vedas, which are typically committed to memory; the meaning of the words karma, samsara, and moksha and their relationship to one other; the concept that everything is God and that secular and sacred therefore are one; and the individual rather than congregational nature of...
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From birth to death, in every country on the globe, for tens of thousands of years, the rhythm of human life has been accentuated by the practice of religious ritual. In this program adherents of three different faiths share their understanding of some common rites of passage: a rabbi explains the elements of a Jewish wedding, including some that date back to the book of Genesis; a minister discusses the role of Christian faith in making funerals...
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Fully 80 percent of India's vast population follow the way of Hinduism, an ancient yet vibrant religion. This overview-filled with evocative images of India and its people, architecture, and sacred works-provides a stimulating glimpse of a spiritual way of life that is expansive yet tolerant, sublime yet practical, and supportive of individual expression. The history of Hinduism's development and reformation; spiritual concepts such as karma, dharma,...
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In Kerala, which is situated in the southern tip of India, Hinduism is the principal belief system of the state's religiously diverse and historically broad-minded population. This program examines the multifaceted majority religion of India. Devotional ceremonies and observances of Hinduism and sacred Hindu literature, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are explored, as are some of the region's ornate temples. The Hindu emphasis on right living,...
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Filmed in Allahabad, this captivating program captures the 2001 Maha Kumbh festival, a 43-day event that drew tens of millions of devotees to the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythic Saraswati Rivers to honor the creation story of Hinduism and to pray for release from the cycle of reincarnation. The program provides a kaleidoscopic view of the pageants, rituals, and ceremonies that make up the festival, as well as the sadhus and sadhvis, pandits,...
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Abutting the border of Pakistan, the state of Rajasthan is the home of the Jains, a relatively small but influential indigenous religious group founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, said to be the last Tirthankara. This program profiles Jainism, which espouses salvation by conquering material existence through strict ascetic discipline. The imperative detachment from worldly existence necessary for liberation is explained, as is ahimsa, the doctrine of...
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In India, religious observances weave countless golden threads into the homespun fabric of daily life. This program provides an overview of four of India's prominent religions: Jainism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Stunning footage from all around the subcontinent displays these jewels of India's religious heritage-along with their monuments, shrines, temples, festivals, and sacred rituals-against the backdrop of the nation's intricate history,...
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Residing to the north of India, the population of Kashmir is primarily Muslim. This program travels to the place known as "the Switzerland of the East" to study the beliefs and practices of Islam. Topics such as the Koran, the Pillars of Islam, the influence of Sharia, and traditional Muslim festivals and holy sites are addressed. Background on the arrival of Islam in Kashmir and its spread throughout India creates a historical context for the religion's...
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In Indonesia, activists seek to return their country to its traditional moral values after a period of rapid economic growth that resulted in rampant nepotism and corruption under President Suharto. As Muslim students and Hindu priests work to revitalize Indonesia while preserving a democratic ideal, this thought-provoking program provides an in-depth portrait of a country seeking to redefine itself within a historical context of religious tradition...
12) Confucianism
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Born in China of missionary parents, Huston Smith learned about Chinese language, culture, and religion while growing up near Shanghai. Smith explains how the intertwining of opposites is key to understanding the great religions of China-Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Smith shows that Eastern religions provide "an emphasis on direct experience and a method for attaining that. He introduces yoga, which he has been practicing for 50 years, as one...
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As the number of immigrants from southeast Asia increases, more and more Americans will come into contact with believers in Theravada Buddhism. This program, filmed in Thailand, looks at the life of the Buddha and traces the development of Buddhism in various countries. The program also describes the day-to-day lives of Buddhist priests as they counsel, teach, beg for alms, and meditate. The Buddhist emphasis upon compassion based on meditation offers...
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Called a religion, a philosophy, and a science of mind, Buddhism is the way for hundreds of millions throughout the world. Who was the historical Prince Siddhartha, and where did he undergo the events that shaped his perceptions of the human condition? This remarkably accessible program dramatizes the life of the one who, beneath a tree at Bodh Gaya, transcended life's misfortunes and sufferings and became known, forevermore, as Buddha. Scholars,...
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In this program a group of young Hindus define the Bhagavad Gita's Four Paths to God and reflect on which path he or she feels the most affinity with-Bhakti (Devotion), Jnana (Knowledge), Rajah (Contemplation), or Karma (Action). With feedback from experts such as Jay Lakhani, director of the Vivekananda Centre in London, the teens examine the practices and philosophies of the paths, explaining that Hinduism accommodates many ways to worship. The...
16) India
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This program captures the increasingly political nature of Hinduism and its volatile relationship with Islam-India's leading minority religion. It argues that this volatility results from their past history, when large parts of India were dominated by the Muslim rulers, the Mughals. Today, many Hindus demand greater recognition of Hinduism in governmental affairs and oppose what they feel is the favoring of Muslims and other minorities. In other words,...
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From ritual ablutions to ceremonial cremation, the religious life of a Hindu is intimately associated with the spiritual properties of water and fire. This program steps off the beaten path for a journey with two sadhus as they visit holy locales, witness religious rites, and, in general, immerse themselves in Hindu culture as it is exists in the religion's motherland, India. The Festival of Shivaratri, in Benares, and the Festival of Holi, in Mathura,...