No. 1: Kundun
This movie executes itself like a Mousetrap for mediation — or an induction into a state of profound compassion for one’s Self and *all* beings.
So it may surprise you that Kundun is the product of Martin Scorcese, more familiar to an admiring intelligentsia and media as Hollywood’s reigning monarch of mob violence.
A classic of world cinema for all time, in any genre, Kundun tells the story of the current Dalai Lama’s miraculous childhood — and it tells the story not through chatty characters but visual and sonic archetypes. One trope: the Tibetan sand mandala: intricate in its design and colors, the sand painting is swept away after months of work by the monk-artists as a sacrificial nod to the temporal quality of life and illusion of personal identity.
The screenplay is the lifetime achievement of Melissa Mathison, former wife of Harrison Ford and author of popcorn hits like “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.” Kundun’s climax contains one of the most disarming scenes in the history of motion pictures. As our hero and protagonist flees the Chinese invasion of Tibet, an Indian border guard asks the Dalai Lama: “With all respect, may I ask? Who are you?”
Dalai Lama: What you see before you is a man. A simple monk.
Soldier: Are you the Lord Buddha?
Dalai Lama: When you see me, and I try to be a good man — See yourself.
No. 4: Brother Sun, Sister Moon
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I would also add the movie, Avalon. The 2001 Japanese sci-fi film, not the schmaltzy Barry Levinson melodrama. This Avalon is inspired by Christian Mysticism, and I think, the 9 choirs tradition:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0267287/
The film represents an existentialist approach to what reality is. Avalon is a forbidden online, virtual reality game. The shifting from one stage of the game to a higher level is like shifting in modes of awareness, and therefore, shifting in reality.
The transitions between the stages of the game, are like ‘fana’ in the sufi tradition: shifting from one spiritual ‘stage’ to the next. Each transition involves courage and persistence.