Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition, July 3, 1999
When desires go unfulfilled, anxiety arises; when wealth, love, or health is lost, depression sets in. Human beings experience stress even if just one aspect of worldly happiness is missing. That said, when a young person who had been withdrawn from school and confined to their room suddenly starts speaking about the meaning of life or world peace as if they’ve been liberated, psychiatrists take notice. They may suspect the onset of “world downfall experience” symptoms.
The book The Monk and the Philosopher (by Jean-François Revel and Matthieu Ricard, published in Japanese last autumn by Shin Hyoron) is a dialogue between a philosopher father and his son, who has set off to Tibet for Buddhist training. The son, disillusioned by scientific progress in the face of war, famine, slaughter, racial discrimination, and environmental destruction, advocates for personal salvation through spiritual practice. Meanwhile, the father argues that society can be controlled. Though both hold fundamentally optimistic views of human nature, their debate is heated.
The 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet depicts the years of wandering experienced by an Austrian mountaineer who left behind his pregnant wife in 1939 to attempt the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, known for The Bear and The Lover, the film portrays the journey until he is able to reunite with his yet-unseen son with a sense of peace.
Brad Pitt plays the protagonist, Heinrich Harrer, a man whose selfish behavior often stands out. His expedition fails to summit the mountain, leading to their descent and subsequent capture by the British, who imprison them in northern India. Three years later, Harrer escapes and makes his way to Lhasa, Tibet.
There, he has the opportunity to meet the young 14th Dalai Lama and becomes his confidant. Though only slightly older than the Dalai Lama, he learns from him a wisdom that transcends the worldly realm. Witnessing the collision between societal reforms brought about by China’s annexation of Tibet and religious ideals, Harrer returns home. In 1951, he meets his son for the first time. The scene where the two stand together atop a mountain is particularly striking.
While an individual’s enlightenment does not necessarily lead to the resolution of societal issues, the film serves as a compelling portrayal of the potential for personal growth in adulthood.
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