Seven Years In Tibet Essay, Research Paper

It is a pleasure to report on the move Seven Years in Tibet. This film is about the transformation of an arrogant, self-absorbed bully by the name of Heinrich Harrer who becomes a compassionate and loving man. His change his brought about by the influence of the young Dalai Lama Buddhist religion. Throughout the coarse of the film, the Buddhist culture and beliefs are what change Harrer.

The first half of the film is attributed to Harrer making his way to the town of Lasha in the country of Tibet. Upon arrival the Dalai Lama summonses Harrer. After several meetings, Harrer finds himself being drawn to the young Dalai Lama. Harrer becomes the boy’s tutor since the majority of the Tibetan people are uneducated. Harrer tells the young Dalai Lama about the western world while the boy teaches Harrer about being peaceful and not destroying living things. Harrer builds a movie house for the Dalai Lama so he can watch movies. The project turns interesting because Buddhist religion teaches the harming of no living creatures. When digging unearths worms, each worm must be placed in a safe place to spare their life. The Dalai Lama goes on to explain that one of those worms could be Harrer’s ancestor.

Another aspect of Buddhist culture is their belief in peace. When Communist China wanted to take over Tibet, the Tibetan people wanted peace, not war. The Tibetan people did react with a fight, only to be slaughtered by the Chinese government. The Tibetan people backed down and allowed the Chinese government to take control over their nation to avoid a brutal war.