Samsara

A young Buddhist returns from three years of meditative solitude, to the monastery where he grew up. As his fellow monks gently reawaken Tashi to the physical world, he simultaneously experiences physical arousal and an interest in women. Despite the efforts of his master to dissuade him, Tashi feels he must encounter the real world in order to renounce it. Hence begins Tashi’s journey of sex, marriage, and industry among a remote mountain community. Set in Ladakh, in the Himalayas, “Samsara” is spectacularly beautiful whilst also successfully conveying the trials of life for this village. Tashi - although enjoying the bliss of sex and pleasure of marriage - is ill-prepared for the conflicts of life as an ordinary man. Christy Chung, playing Tashi’s wife, provides a grounded perspective of what spirituality truly means in everyday life.