"Unmistaken Child"

Unmistaken Child is a movie that was written and directed by Nati Baratz, the movie document a highly religious search for a monk that last for four years. The movie is based on the reincarnation belief that  the Buddhist hold where  Tenzin Zopa who is twenty-eight years old goes out in search for his master Gesha lama konchog who died in the year 2001 and is believed to have reincarnated and is living somewhere in the villages. The movie is based on Buddhist belief of Rinpoches which basically means the precious ones who are monks that have achieved high religious status and so can choose in what form to reincarnate and so the followers must look of their master being guided by the signs that are provided during the master’s cremation. Zopa’s journey begins in the early morning after him showing and he walks on foot through a beautiful terrain covered in a mist, he continues by a mule and by a helicopter. Dalai Lama the spiritual leader of the Tibetans is the one that requested for the search.

The signs to be observed included a one to one and a half years old child who at that tender age showed qualities of the reincarnated master. The movie accounts for real life rituals and traditions of the monks like the direction of smoke from the pyre when lama konchog was being cremated and the patterns of the sand below it were the signs of the direction that was to be followed when searching for the reincarnated lama. There were also many pearl relics that were found confirming that Gesha-la had reincarnated. Beautiful landscape and the sweetness of this religious people are well seen in the movie. Their humility and good sense of humor is also well brought out in the movie.

A better connection between the spiritual maturity and the mother nature is highly evident in this movie, the behavior of the monks and their environment which is very natural with little or even no pollution is translated to their hospitality and there strong religious belief. The movie also shows some faults in the monks’ beliefs because the reincarnated Geshe-la is older than the 1 to 1 and a half and also the test given of identifying konchog’s prayer beads is not satisfactory because there is a probability of guess work being right. The child identified can speak and hence can be coached to do certain thing. The Search also is limited in terms of region covered though one may argue that the reincarnated lama should be found within the region, I believe that good people should also have their way to somewhat stray people so as to guide them in to the right path.

Why then does the boy cry in protest as he is bold shaved. If he is the reincarnated lama shouldn’t he be happy to reunite with his people especially zopa who had been his heart disciple and a very faithful attendant for a long period of 21 years after he was left under Geshe-la’s care. I belief the parent of that child agree to give up their child because of the high social and religious status that he was going to enjoy as can be seen in the royal transportation that the boy receives after being dressed in the red and golden robes and head dressed before bidding farewell to his parents. If you are holding different belief or even atheist the story looks very awkward or even illogical but it is worth to view because it gives one a more insight into Buddhism.