The Buddha
("Awakened One")
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE!
Two and a half millennia ago, a new philosophy was born in India, generated from the ideas of the Buddha, a mysterious Indian sage who gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree. The Buddha never claimed to be God or his emissary on earth, only that he was a human being who had found a kind of serenity that others could find, too. This documentary tells the story of his life, a journey especially relevant in our own times.
Symbolism: In Buddhism the elephant is a symbol of mental strength. At the beginning of one's practice the uncontrolled mind is symbolized by a "gray elephant" who can run wild any moment and destroy everything in his way. After practicing dharma (spiritual teachings) and taming one's mind, the mind which is now brought under control is symbolized by a "white elephant", strong and powerful, who can be directed wherever one wishes and destroy all the obstacles in his way.
Ven. Jampa Choskyi
Please note that there is a free e-book on the Buddhist ~ Taoist eBook page that accompanies this teaching. It is called "The Essence of Tibetan Buddhism" by Lama Yeshe.
The Three Principal Aspects of the Path - Lama Yeshe, Part 1
The Three Principal Aspects of the Path - Lama Yeshe, Part 2