Metaphysical Cinema - "Kumbh Mela: Songs of the River" February 21, 2009

Metaphysical Cinema "Kumbh Mela:Songs of the River" (60 minutes) followed by "Varanasi Sacred Fire" (30 minutes), Meetup at Vinz's wine bar afterward.
Saturday, February 21st, Showtime at 7:00PM

Tickets are $10 Call Dan at 858-692-5552
for more information.

The Kumbh Mela is the "Festival of the Urn" that pours out the nectar of immortality.
It is a great roving festival that has moved around India for more than four thousand years, erecting temporary cities along the Ganges River. The 2001 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India was the largest gathering of humanity in recorded history. It was not just the final Kumbh Mela in a 12-year cycle of festivals. It was the final festival of 12 cycles - the conclusion of a giant 144-year cycle, making it "Maha" Kumbh Mela, the Great Festival. This 144-year buildup of spiritual meaning made it a powerfully auspicious time for pilgrims to bathe in the Ganges. Even the planets and stars joined in, providing heavenly alignments not seen for 144 years. East joined West with the coinciding advent of the 21st Century in 2001. Thus, roughly 70 million people came from all over the globe to pray for peace and rebirth for self and the world, truly a meeting of ancient and future in a remarkable moment.

KEY Characters
- PILOT BABA:
A yogi who turned to religion after serving as a fighter pilot in the brief war between Pakistan and India in the 1970s. His inclusive philosophy teaches the unity of all religions. In the course of the mela he plays host to:

- HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA:
Leader-in-exile of the Tibetan people and living embodiment of the ancient spiritual lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He speaks to the meaning of major human events like the Maha Kumbh Mela.The Dalai Lama and Pilot Boba

- YOGMATA KEIKO AIKAWA:
A Japanese yogini with an avid international following, she demonstrates an "underground samadhi" in Pilot Baba's encampment - allowing herself to be buried alive in a 9x9 pit for three days, in deep meditation.

- DR. ANDREW WEIL:
Renowned holistic medicine practitioner, author and teacher. He interviews Pilot Baba about the physical practice of samadhi. Kali Baba

- SIR MARK TULLY:
Legendary Delhi-based BBC journalist much of whose professional career has been in India.

- KALI BABA:
A Masai from Tanzania and a longtime Los Angeles resident. Speaking around a large plate in his lip, Kali Baba reflects eloquently on the esoteric implications of the Maha Kumbh Mela. A profound intelligence shines through his extreme appearance.

Varanasi Sacred Fire (2007, running time 30 minutes)

This is an unsparing yet heartfelt account of a day in the life of the oldest inhabited city on Earth, the holiest city in India – Varanasi. The Ganges River is the center of life in Varanasi. For thousands of years, every day it receives the people’s prayers as they enter the water and bathe. And throughout every day, and every night, it receives the dead. A cinematic meditation on a remarkable city, where both life and death are encountered daily on the great Ganges River. This is a rare account of cremation rituals at Manikarnika Ghat, India’s holiest funeral ground.

Official Website: http://www.philosophicallibrary.org