The Great Transmission

Screening weekly in Theater Two, this award-winning documentary by Pema Gellek complements Buddhist Art from the Roof of the World. The Great Transmission is the story of one Tibetan refugee lama and his efforts to preserve the sacred texts of his tradition. Witnessing the disintegration of his heritage, Tarthang Tulku dedicated his life to restoring a text tradition that was nearly lost during the turbulence of the twentieth century. Working with a handful of volunteers, he would deliver more than 4.25 million books into Tibetan hands in one of the largest free book distributions in history. “An inspiring and cinematographically beautiful film that gives us glimpses of Buddhism at some of its most important historical moments” (David Grubin).