Wandering Nun – Inspiring Documentary Recommendation
“Abandon all the efforts. Find the silence beyond thoughts. Stay there. Just watch. Everything happens naturally.”
– Ani Rigsang
Ani Rigsang, a Tibetan nun, permanently leaves her monastery to pursue knowledge of her ancestors’ endangered spiritual traditions.
Stumbling across the free documentary TIBET, THE PATH TO WISDOM on Slice’s YouTube channel, I couldn’t help but feel delighted.
I have always been fascinated by nuns and monks from diverse traditions. They renounce the world to find life's purpose.
People might think someone’s story ends when they take vows of renunciation in a monastery. But for Tibetan Nun, Ani, it has only just begun.
We quickly learn she has left the comfort of her Lhasa convent, driven by a strong desire to deepen her understanding and spiritual connection by walking the land from temple to monastery.
Along the way, she meets revered nuns and monks.
One is ‘The Mad Saint,’ who offers her wisdom, such as, “There really is nothing to find, you understand? Whether you understand or not, it makes no difference. The mind is empty yet cognizant, unfathomable yet always present. You can recognize it only by its scent of compassion.”
And my favourite piece of advice, “Learn to tame your inner energies, and you’ll understand everything.”
Ani listens carefully and shares that she’s on a pilgrimage because she desires to connect her inner spiritual life with the sacred landscape of the Tibetan mountains, which will help her better understand herself.
To which he responds, “The outer world is a reflection of your inner nature, not the other way around. You can walk all you want and not connect to a single thing.”
Ani affirms, “Tibetan Buddhism is linked to this sacred landscape. Walking through it preserves its memory.”
The Mad Saint quips, “I’m not so sure, who's got the time to walk these days?”
Ani remains undeterred.
In appreciation for your being here,
Shana Lee
Monastery in the mountains.