http://harmonist.us/2010/03/review-enlighten-up/ Tue, 22 May 2012 13:40:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://harmonist.us/2010/03/review-enlighten-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3956 una dd Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:52:57 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=4508#comment-3956 . . . good for U . . . . . . good for U . . .

]]> http://harmonist.us/2010/03/review-enlighten-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3904 Vamsidhari dasa Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:33:05 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=4508#comment-3904 I had trouble with the beginning of the movie but then it got more interesting. I am not sure that no transformation occurred, but maybe it is not what we or the filmmaker expected. A precipitous transformation is suspect. The pendulum inevitably swings to the other side. The in-vivo experiment was, in essence, concentrated on the external and visible changes we only got some glimpse of what was happening internally to the subject of this movie. I was struck by a few things. First, it was immediately after attending his first kirtan that Nick decided he was going to stop drinking and make some other important life style changes. I though that was important, no one told him to do that it came from him. Secondly, although he has been taken to many places around India he did end up in Vrindavan which was significant. He could have been taken to Venares or who knows where. We could see that he was very much internally affected but what he saw there even though he did not understand what was going on. My point is that the true changes are slow and are internally located. They are not in dress, yoga-mats, or flip flops. Perhaps Nick missed an opportunity to gain more from visiting the Vraj, but one thing is sure no one can leave the Vraj unchanged. We don't really know what he gained. His life did change externally in some significant ways, but maybe those are more important for his spiritual life then turning himself into a pretzel every morning. Maybe some seed of transformation is there and at the end of the movie I felt I wanted to be generous with Nick hoping that he will transform, perhaps not on command and for the audience but for himself. This movie did manage to transform me from a skeptical and deriding stance towards Nick to a more generous, accepting one and that's a feat. I had trouble with the beginning of the movie but then it got more interesting. I am not sure that no transformation occurred, but maybe it is not what we or the filmmaker expected. A precipitous transformation is suspect. The pendulum inevitably swings to the other side. The in-vivo experiment was, in essence, concentrated on the external and visible changes we only got some glimpse of what was happening internally to the subject of this movie. I was struck by a few things. First, it was immediately after attending his first kirtan that Nick decided he was going to stop drinking and make some other important life style changes. I though that was important, no one told him to do that it came from him.
Secondly, although he has been taken to many places around India he did end up in Vrindavan which was significant. He could have been taken to Venares or who knows where. We could see that he was very much internally affected but what he saw there even though he did not understand what was going on. My point is that the true changes are slow and are internally located. They are not in dress, yoga-mats, or flip flops. Perhaps Nick missed an opportunity to gain more from visiting the Vraj, but one thing is sure no one can leave the Vraj unchanged. We don’t really know what he gained. His life did change externally in some significant ways, but maybe those are more important for his spiritual life then turning himself into a pretzel every morning. Maybe some seed of transformation is there and at the end of the movie I felt I wanted to be generous with Nick hoping that he will transform, perhaps not on command and for the audience but for himself. This movie did manage to transform me from a skeptical and deriding stance towards Nick to a more generous, accepting one and that’s a feat.

]]> http://harmonist.us/2010/03/review-enlighten-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3898 Citta Hari dasa Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:38:29 +0000 http://harmonist.us/?p=4508#comment-3898 Not a glowing review, and you did a great job showing us why. To do such a documentary well requires deep insight into not just the world of yoga but the Western psyche as well, neither of which it sounds like the film maker had. Unfortunately some people will form their opinions about yoga and maybe even spiritual practice in general from such films, in which case this film really didn't do anyone any favors. Not a glowing review, and you did a great job showing us why. To do such a documentary well requires deep insight into not just the world of yoga but the Western psyche as well, neither of which it sounds like the film maker had. Unfortunately some people will form their opinions about yoga and maybe even spiritual practice in general from such films, in which case this film really didn’t do anyone any favors.

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