04:33 This wonderful animation presents a synthesis of Campbell’s foundational framework for the stages of the hero’s quest, illustrating its timeless potency in illuminating the inner workings of so many of our modern myths and contemporary real-life heroes.

03:09 This Thai ad is a stirring, cinematic spot in which the daughter of a charity worker visits a Thai woman who helped her father when he was a prisoner of war in World War II.

02:58 This inspiring video mentions well known people who failed, but kept pressing on until they became successful. Its message is that if you’ve never failed you’ve never tried anything new.

15:41 The place that travel writer Pico Iyer would most like to go? Nowhere. In a counterintuitive and lyrical meditation, Iyer takes a look at the incredible insight that comes with taking time for stillness. In our world of constant movement and distraction, he teases out strategies we all can use to take back a few minutes out of every day, or a few days out of every season.

01:35 Thomson wants you to take a vacation that washes away the slings and arrows of your everyday life in the waters of the Caribbean. And in this spot it woos you with a version of The Velveteen Rabbit, as a neglected, one-eyed teddy bear learns to smile again by vacationing in Jamaica and falls in love with My Little Pony. It’s beautifully shot and crafted shot, and features an unusual choice of soundtrack in William Shatner’s spoken-word cover version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

06:17 This extraordinarily beautiful, inspiring GoPro video features 3 mermaid-like free diver sirens with mono fins dancing together with three three humpback whales in the Tonga seas. It’s set to the the voice of Alan Watts, telling us to dream the dream of what we are actually living today.

03:38 An inspiring and truly profound talk backed with lovely images and a quiet soundtrack. You cannot watch this video without feeling you are worth something just by existing, and that life is so much more than we usually give it credit for.

02:35 In this talk The Dalai Lama stresses a secular approach to compassion that reaches beyond individual creeds and beliefs. He speaks of the need for mutual respect and friendship, the care and education of children, and ongoing dialogue for conflict resolution.

01:00 This beautiful, inspiring spot features the star soloist for the American Ballet Theater. The ad shows Copeland warming up, while the voice of a young girl reads real rejection letters that she received. “You have the wrong body for ballet.” We then see Copeland fly through the air and spin across the stage, challenging her supposed fate.

04:08 Take a look inside the inspirational life of a happy puppy who may look a little different, but really isn’t that different after all. Beautifully shot using a GoPro and set to uplifting music.

02:01 You’ll love this ad about the power of love. There’s nothing like the sound of a crying, inconsolable baby to whip a clueless dad into a state of panic. He wants nothing more than to find mommy. But mommy’s out shopping. He grabs his smartphone in a frantic effort to distract the baby with soothing technology – a cartoon or a video chat with mom. When the gadget doesn’t save the day he lands on a simpler, much more effective solution – a hug!

04:41 Michael Fukumura went from being a government lawyer in Washington, D.C. to a yoga instructor and surfing fanatic in San Diego. This is his story. It’s part of “Own Your Tomorrow,” an exceptional series of professionally produced films on positive change.

03:28 A beautifully produced clip from a documentary shot in Japan, revealing the essence of Zen Buddhism through images, words, and a haunting shakuhachi flute score.

]]> https://www.dawn-productions.com/videos/the-zen-mind-a-simple-profound-introduction-to-the-essence-of-zen-buddhism/feed/ 1 https://www.dawn-productions.com/videos/unsung-hero-a-thai-man-changes-lives-by-performing-random-acts-of-kindness/ https://www.dawn-productions.com/videos/unsung-hero-a-thai-man-changes-lives-by-performing-random-acts-of-kindness/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2014 10:00:04 +0000 Cris Popenoe https://www.dawn-productions.com/?p=14886
03:05 This touching, uplifting video is a tribute to the people who do what’s right. It stars an unnamed protagonist who takes a small amount of time each day to help those around him. A neglected plant gets a little extra water, a woman gets a helping hand, and a needy child gets some money. “What does […]...]]>

03:05 This touching, uplifting video is a tribute to the people who do what’s right. It stars an unnamed protagonist who takes a small amount of time each day to help those around him. A neglected plant gets a little extra water, a woman gets a helping hand, and a needy child gets some money. “What does he get in return for doing this every day?” a narrator asks. His answer: “He gets nothing…. What he does receive are emotions. He witnesses happiness. Reaches a deeper understanding. Feels the love. Receives what money can’t buy. A world made more beautiful.”

13:17 Anna Breytenbach has dedicated her life to interspecies communication. She sends detailed messages to animals through pictures and thoughts and then receives messages of remarkable clarity back from the animals. In this video you’ll witness her work and see a snarling, suspicious, and aggressive leopard named Diabolo be transformed into a relaxed, content, and grateful beauty called Spirit. The change occurs after he receives the new name that mirrors his true essence.

08:16 This remarkable indie sci fi film is the story of Arya, the last remaining member of a lineage with a unique genetic code that grants the ability to survive the folding of temporal and spatial boundaries. She can teleport to explore new planets and has a lust for finding life beyond our own. More than anything, she’s looking for answers. It features stunning visions of distant worlds, and an intense performance.

01:39 A lovely companion animation to Carl Sagan’s lyrical and resonant ode to the planet Earth as seen from a great distance. Much like Sagan’s original musings, the 2D animation is understated, while contemplating our place in a vast universe.

05:40 Selections from interviews filmed shortly before Joseph Campbell’s death in 1987.

03:02 A moving, cinematic story of a noodle seller whose generous act toward a young boy with a sick mother brings unexpected rewards 30 years later. It’s reaffirmation of the power of random acts of kindness.

02:45 Ze Frank begins this video by showing off a bounty of jelly beans on the floor. They are numerical metaphors, representing the average American’s lifespan. Over the course of the video he details how the average person spends large chunks of their lives. A video that seems a little silly achieves profundity. Yes, we spend a lot of time doing things that are meaningless. But we have a choice about a good chunk of those jelly beans.

03:35 Tyson’s answer is as eloquent as it is mind-blowing and as beautiful as it is sublime. This video ties his insights together with breathtaking visuals to create a powerful representation of the science behind Tyson’s answer, which is perhaps best revealed in one particular quote: “We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.”

05:37 This is the best and most entertaining explanation of Joseph Campbell’s “Monomyth” theory that you’re going to get outside of actually reading his books – don’t let the puppets or the mention of Adam Sandler movies at the beginning throw you off. Thanks to the puppets you’ll learn about the Hero, the Herald, the Mentor and more, as the concepts are used in Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and other stories.

05:55 An extraordinary display of beauty and grace. Guan Yin is the Bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. This incredible video shows 21 deaf dancers embodying the spirit of compassion. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is both intricate and stirring.

09:23 This remarkable commencement address by the late David Foster Wallace is a meditation on the frustration of daily life and the importance of perspective as seen from Wallace’s eloquent, darkly humorous point-of-view. The video is an awesome combination of poetic verbiage and cadence with perfectly edited imagery and motion graphics.

01:48 If stairs played musical notes when you walked on them, would you be more likely to take them? Volkswagen launched a campaign “dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better.” It turns out that 66% more commuters opted for stairs over the escalators! Take a look at this utterly clever (and fun!) idea.

01:02 This inspiring, beautifully shot and scored video from Nike salutes the everyday fitness feats of ordinary people. “Greatness is not a gift reserved for a chosen few. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We’re all capable of it.”

03:58 An inspirational and though provoking short talk about discovering who you are and what you are truly capable of – enhanced with a powerful series of resonant images.

03:13 This fun, visually appealing wordless animation tells a powerful story, set to mystical music. A girl paints over a cute colored dragon who comes to life and leads her on adventures in a magical realm.

03:05 A remarkable lecture from the Buddhist teacher Alan Watts on living a purposeful, satisfying life and asking yourself what you really desire – set to music and resonant video images.

08:21 An amazing story of a whale-watching trip that turns into an incredible effort to rescue a humpback whale severely entangled in a drift net. In the finale the young whale celebrates the joy of being free in stunning fashion.

05:25 This beautiful and touching stop-motion animation details a transoceanic conversation between two characters – one living on a beach and the other in the snow – via objects in a bottle.

04:06 Beautiful! Lennon was a great advocate for peace and this awesome collaborative rendition from Playing for Change evokes the song’s spirit and the possibilities for change. This video taps into the incredible power that music holds, presenting exceptional musicians playing together across the globe.

05:31 At the start of the new millennium the Dalai Lama was said to have issued eighteen rules for living. The statements are simple and profound – and the video presents them beautifully, accompanied by evocative photos. In truth, the teachings are from H. Jackson Brown Jr.’s book “Life’s Little Instruction Book.” Whatever the source they are superb.

01:47 Brilliant slow motion feast for the eyes, capturing the spiritual beauty of the annual Holi Festival celebrations. The melding of light, water, and color is truly gorgeous. The colorful powders thrown around are stunning when captured at 2,500 frames per second.

03:44 Life advice and words of wisdom illustrated by adorable cat and kitten photos, set to relaxing music.

06:05 Set against the backdrop of glorious San Francisco vistas this inspiring beautifully produced video tells of the heart and determination of a high school cross country team that rallied together to get their coach – who had been diagnosed with ALS – his 8th state championship.

09:56 Schwartzberg’s stunning time-lapse photography and human vignettes, accompanied by music and powerful words from Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast, serve as a meditation on being grateful for every day and giving back to those who are less fortunate.

04:11 The second video of Marcel, the impossibly cute seashell, is even more adorable and heart-warming than his first viral hit. You’ll be enchanted by his musings and riffs. If you don’t feel fuzzy inside when he says, “Guess why I smile a lot. Uh, ’cause it’s worth it,” then maybe check yourself for a pulse.

03:16 A young yogi challenges an old master to a yoga battle in this animated short, thinking he can take on the master and not realizing that there’s more to yoga than the physical postures.

05:15 Boys living on Koh Panyee, a floating island village in the south of Thailand that had not an inch of soil, loved to watch football but had nowhere to play or practice. They didn’t let that stop them. They built a field and a team that became nationally competitive.

03:20 This quirky film follows a tiny talking seashell with shoes named Marcel as he gives an informal interview about his life. He is too weak to lift anything and his house is a mess because he had friends over to make salad. If you’re not in love by the time he says, “My one regret in life is that I’ll never have a dog. But sometimes I tie a hair to a piece of lint and I drag it around,” you should give up on ever being happy in life.

10:48 Brilliant video on what motivates us in life and work, using the audio from a talk by Dan Pink and whiteboard animations. Pink compares the latest scientific discoveries about the mind to the old beliefs that claim people can only be motivated by the hope of gain and the fear of loss. His thesis is that what motivates us once our basic survival needs are met is the ability to grow and develop to realize our fullest potential.

44:49 Yabusame is a ceremony in which archers clad in the hunting outfit of medieval warriors shoot at three targets as they race by on horseback. This amazing video shows Tim Ferriss (who speaks Japanese fluently) trying to deconstruct and learn the ancient art in just 5 days. Although he has had some experience with Western-style horseback riding, this is a whole new challenge.

03:58 Clips of the impassioned political speech from the Charlie Chaplin film are woven into a powerful montage of video clips and images.

10:00 Illuminating talk on what meditation really is, expressed in clear, simple language. Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan lama renowned for his ability to make Tibetan Buddhist teaching relevant to modern men and women of all faiths by drawing out their universal message while losing none of their authenticity, purity, and power.

09:03 Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn leads a session of mindful movements – gentle exercises created specifically to cultivate a joyful awareness of the body and breath. A voice over clarifies the instruction.

02:42 A clever spoof of teachings in The Secret. Puppetji is a puppet who is an ‘Indian Master’, and whose wisdom is both spot on and very funny.

06:26 Did you ever feel that something is missing inside you? Are you looking for something or someone to fill that hole? That’s the theme of this simple, moving story by Shel Silverstein. It’s drawn in his signature style, animated in stop motion, and set to the song “Our Love.”

1:12:05 Jon Kabat-Zinn leads a spirited class on mindfulness and meditation at Google. It’s a wonderful session, and one that’s particularly relevant to people working in technology and media.

54:07 A marvelous NOVA program. Mustang is one of the last relatively untouched outposts of Tibetan culture.