Letter to John Newman
The lawyer of Unified Buddhist Church
A copy to Dr Modi the film sangha
Plum Village March 29th, 2006
Dear John
In our fisrt meeting Tuesday 28th,March 2006 at Plum Village, Thay already told the Buddha Film group including Dr Modi, the Film Producer that Thay gives the film as an offering to the Buddha Siddharta, he will not take any royalty, however Doctor Modi will pay Mobi Ho and our lawyer John Newman for her work and his work. If there is interest in the film, Thay requested to give 1% to the charity funds for helping children in India. Then Dr Modi said this project has been an aspiration he has wished to realise 18 years ago and now the conditions are ripe for the realisation, he will try to realise the film also as an offering to the Buddha, he will offer 1% for hungry children in India and 1% for children in non Indian countries including Vietnam. It was agree that we - Thay, a few concerned member of Thay’s monastic sangha of Plum Village like myself and Thay Phap An, Doctor Modi, film producer , Mr Michel Shane the film executive producer ,Miss Nipa Thakkar, the administrative Manager , Mr CT Dhar , the expert adviser ...- we all work together as a sangha for the advance of the film. Every one will practice to enjoy the present moment while working for the film. Peace, joy and attentive listening to each other at every step on the process to realise the film . But we will not wait at the end of the film to enjoy the realisation !. The executive producer will bring the actors to come to our Deer Park Practice Center for a retreat to train themselves to walk, to act, to eat mindfully.The script writer will come to spend two weeks in Plum Village for writing the script. Our teacher Thay kept saying that he believes the Buddha Siddharta ‘s energy had inspired us to come together and to do a good job for that film to be an inspiration for the young generation. Dr Modi said that he want the Buddha in the film will be the universal Buddha, not an Indian Buddha, so he decides to do it mainly in Los Angeles but it could be in India when it is needs. He said he wishes the film will try to bring the insight of the Buddha to help resolve great issues of his time but still relevant to our time. Dr Modi wished that this film will attract people to enjoy the film not a few thousands but millions of people could enjoy the wisdom of the Buddha.These meetings give to all of us a lot of hope but we know that the reality could be not as we expected. Thay seems confident, at the end he said that the film will be good or not, it depends on the purity of our intention. Keep our heart pure. Practice as sangha then the film could be beyond of our expectation. Everybody seems having a peaceful heart those days. Dr Modi said that he really want to support the film as much as he could. He does not want to set up a figure, an amount of money to be put for the film. He will put the money appropriately at the needs.
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