British Buddhist monk, Ven. Ñanavira Thera ordained in Ceylon shortly after WWII and lived as a hermit on the outskirts of a remote village, Bundala, until his suicide in 1965. His complex and innovative writings remain largely unknown – in part because of his suicide, but also due to the challenging and unorthodox nature of his work. The film explores Ven. Ñanavira’s biography, writings, and the questions around monastic suicide.
Here is available only the low quality of the original. Also we cut out 30sec. long clip from Maugham’s radio play “The Question of Retreat” due to copyright restrictions.
Part One
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RRq05xmj6A]
Part Two
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnB8b6ATL6U]
Reviews
Ven. Nanavira – the scholar monk, the suicide and the film
by Nan, The Island, July 23, 2011
Suicide by the terminally ill
by Nan, The Island, July 30, 2011
Ven. Ñāṇavīra: The Film
By Bhikkhu Yogananda, Nidahas, August 3, 2011