The Sun Behind The Clouds
Deborah, Shah, and Bob at a screening of The Sun Behind the Clouds
Over Spring Break, some of us went to see the movie, The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom. Below, Shah eloquently shares his thoughts on the film and how it relates to his upcoming experience in Dharamsala, India:
Watching The Sun Behind The Clouds was an amazing experience for me. Not only did this documentary help in giving an insight in to the Tibetan struggle, it also gave me a better reason for wanting to go to India. Sure, experiencing a new culture sounds awesome but going there to help support a cause sounds even better.
The documentary features the Tibetan's beloved leader, the Dalai Lama, who shares his opinions on the Tibetan strife. The conflict is between China and Tibet. China did not allow the Tibetans to practice their type of Buddhism and they were not allowed to have the Dalai Lama as a leader. China resorted to violence and the Dalai Lama and other Tibetans had no choice but to flee to other neighboring countries such as Dharamsala. The Dalai Lama explains that he is the reason why so many are suffering. The Tibetans who were found supporting the Dalai Lama or practicing Tibetan Buddhism were brutally arrested and often tortured. The Dalai Lama believes that they can free Tibet only by non-violence but some Tibetans believe that the only way to regain what was rightfully theirs is to fight. The Dalai Lama calls the non violence path the Middle Way. The Middle Way basically is the approach in which the Tibetans can preserve their culture and religion and the Chinese can call Tibet their territory.
It is a privilege to be able to go to India to have a firsthand experience about these struggles. If you haven’t seen this yet, please find a chance to because this documentary was very motivational.
-Shah K