Director: Rebecca Dreyfus
Country: USA
Year: 2021
On Meditation is ten films in one, presenting portraits of meditators whose lives and careers have been transformed by their practice. Learn firsthand from the late Zen master Peter Matthiessen, Insight Meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg, US Congressman Tim Ryan, Nepali monk Venerable Metteyya Sakyaputta, and others.
In a 2013 interview with Tricycle, director Rebecca Dreyfus said, “[On Meditation is] focused on the effects a consistent practice has on our subjects, regardless of their traditions…they are all seeking something in their lives that will offer them a richer connection to themselves, and a way to transcend the daily trials that can trip us all up. […] People undertaking spiritual practices are seeking answers to questions that are unknowable. Life is the biggest mystery there is, and meditators are communing with this mystery and attempting to make peace with it.”
To learn more about the film visit onmeditation.com/abouttheseries
This film was available to stream until midnight on Friday, March 5th, 2021. Tricycle’s screening has ended, but you can find the film at Amazon and Vimeo.
Elena Brower, yoga and meditation teacher | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Giancarlo Esposito, film and television actor best known for his roles on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Sharon Salzberg, meditation teacher, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, and author of nine books including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Married couple Mark Epstein, psychiatrist who has explored the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy in several books, and Arlene Shechet, multidisciplinary sculptor | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
David Lynch, acclaimed film director and longtime practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan, member of the House Appropriations Committee and author of A Mindful Nation | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Venerable Metteyya Sakyaputta, Nepali monk, Vice Chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust, and founder of the Metta Childen’s School | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
Gabrielle Bernstein, New York Times bestselling author | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
The late Peter Matthiessen, three-time National Book Award-winning writer, author of The Snow Leopard, environmental activist, and Zen teacher | Images courtesy of Snapdragon Films
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Editor’s note: On Meditation includes an interview with Russell Simmons, who was accused of sexual assault and rape by multiple women after the film was released. Simmons has denied these allegations, but they have not been disproven. We believe the perspectives of the many other figures featured in the documentary are valuable, and we trust that viewers can decide how best to view Simmons’s alleged abuses and his appearance in the film (23:35–28:02). He receives no proceeds from screenings of the film.