This year’s BuddhaFest took place at Artisphere’s Spectrum Theatre in Arlington, VA, from 11–14 June. The annual event had its opening night on Thursday, which included the Washington, DC premiere of the award-winning film Love Thy Nature. Musical programs, talks by renowned Buddhist figures, and other lectures formed the remainder of the event.
BuddhaFest poster. From Facebook
Founded in 2010 by Eric Forbis and Gabriel Riera, BuddhaFest’s humble beginnings were at the American University in Washington, DC, when Forbis decided to screen a film on nuns in Tibet. As the small program was attended by a sizeable crowd, Forbis took the initiative to plan additional events emphasizing how Buddhism can improve social conditions even in an area of strong Western culture. “I wanted to showcase Buddhists who are out making a difference and I think we’re able to do this by focusing on how our spiritual practices impact the real world and make a practical difference in people’s lives,” he said. “We really want to make a difference in the world” (The Huffington Post).
Alongside the film, the opening night included a discussion on social engagement with Insight Meditation Society founder Sharon Salzberg and Holistic Life Foundation’s founders Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez. The second day featured an evening concert by the Juggernauts and Gaura Vani, a musician trained in Indian sacred music, followed by the East Coast premiere of the film Dharma Rising.
Speaker angel Kyodo williams. From Facebook
Saturday kicked off with the film The Devotion of Matthieu Ricard and a talk by Ricard on the power of compassion. The “happiest man in the world,” Ricard is an author and photographer as well as a Buddhist monk. In the afternoon, New York Times writer and meditator David Gelles delivered a talk titled “How Mindfulness is Transforming Workplaces,” based on his new book Mindful Work, and conducted two one-on-one interviews. Then, Dakini Power’s author Michaela Haas spoke about the achievements of women following the Buddhist path, which was followed by the Washington, DC premiere of Khandro: A Woman’s Path of Peace, depicting the life of one of the few female lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche. In the evening, the films On Meditation and Planetary were shown.
BuddhaFest ended on Sunday, beginning with the East Coast premiere of Giving Life to Life, a film about Zen teacher and activist Roshi Joan Halifax. After lunch came a talk “The Trance of the Unreal Other” by Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach and a panel discussion, all under the theme “Beloved Community: Healing what Separates Us,” followed by a talk by Zen priest Rev. angel Kyodo williams Sensei and the Academy Award-nominated film Tangerines. The event culminated with a celebration of Thich Nhat Hanh.
Ali and Atman Smith and Andres Gonzalez from Holistic Life Foundation. From Facebook
Since its inception, BuddhaFest has been a much sought-after event. This year, nearly 60 volunteers helped bring it to life. “We created BuddhaFest to serve the dharma,” writes Forbis on their website. “We wanted to share stories that would encourage people to explore meditation, live mindfully and seek greater levels of awareness and compassion” (buddhafest.org).
A post-BuddhaFest event will take place on 25 June in the form of a talk by internationally known psychologist and author Daniel Goleman on the book he wrote together with His Holiness, A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama’s Vision for Our World. Ticket registration can be done here.