Film Club: Watch Old Plum Mountain, a film about the Berkeley Zen Center
I was first moved by the visuals in the zendo: the light as it streamed through the windows, the beauty of people sitting together, eating and serving oryoki, and chanting and bowing together... —Ed Herzog, director of Old Plum Mountain: The Berkeley Zen Center—Life Inside the Gate
The above quote comes from the discussion of Old Plum Mountain at the Tricycle Film Club. Old Plum Mountain, the first film featured at the Tricycle Film Club, is Herzog's up-close look at one of the oldest centers of lay Buddhist practice in the country. Established in 1967 by the legendary Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Berkeley Zen Center is now headed by his student Sojun Mel Weitsman. This hour-long documentary takes us inside the workings of BZC, both in times of intense practice during retreats, and during the everyday business that keeps the center up and running. If you've ever wondered what the inside of a North American Zen Center looks like, this is your chance!
Old Plum Mountain runs until January 15. Don't miss it!
Supporting and Sustaining Members can watch it here. Not a member? Become one here.
Latest Blog Comments
Wow, what a mess. The problems started from the beginning of her relationship with her teacher. Her teacher did not...
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute (religious) power corrupts absolutely. It's the people who've been taken...
I appreciare these remarks about the betrayal of trust. I think the beauty of what happened is that we object to it...
Thank you for the video, Andrew is most encouraging and I am inspired to take a photo, get out my timer and give a...