This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.
Cinematography
Two millennia of Buddhist art shot like museum porn.
Direction
Grubin turns PBS doc into genuine spiritual experience.
Production
Dalai Lama + W.S. Merwin = unexpectedly stacked guest list.
Director
David Grubin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Richard Gere has been a practicing Tibetan Buddhist since the 1970s and is one of the Dalai Lama's most visible Western advocates.
The film intentionally mirrors the Buddha's journey structure: luxury, crisis, asceticism, middle path—mirroring how viewers ideally experience the documentary itself.
US
