Loving Karma
by Bob Spensley
There’s a new documentary being released that we’d like to help promote in all corners of the world. It’s called Loving Karma. Its messages, shared through the lives of children in the remote Himalayas, are of resilience, compassion and ultimately renewed hope.
Have you seen the Emmy-Award-Winning Tashi and the Monk? If you liked that one, this new one is by the same brilliant producer/directors Andrew Hinton and Johnny Burke, who traveled back to the Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community 12 years later to see for themselves what has become of the “bold social experiment in the hills”.
At this point there are 3 in-person events where it will be shown: Singapore, Boston and Banff, with many more to come. Two of the showings are part of film festivals: Singapore’s on September 27th is part of the THIS Buddhist Film Festival. It’s actually the world premiere of Loving Karma and Lobsang will be there in-person, and Banff’s showing in November is part of the Banff Centre’s 50th Anniversary of its famous Mountain Film Festival. Boston’s event is something else and will be quite personal: https://jhamtse.org/loving-karma/. On October 18th, it is being held in the same Massachusetts community where then young monk Lobsang Phuntsok lived 25 years ago and where the idea to start a community for children like himself was originally hatched. It will be an emotional evening with the film's producers/directors being there in-person (along with Lobsang via Zoom) and some of the original supporters of Lobsang’s vision who are still with him in his journey today. It’s a journey of humanity, moving forward, seeing the value of every single one of us, and taking risks to care.
If you are able to attend any of these viewings, we trust you will be surrounded by other loving and compassionate humans looking to celebrate human decency. I believe these events and seeing this film will be reminders that we all have the power to impact others with mindful basic kindnesses, and that we can all make significant positive differences no matter where we are.