- Tell me.
- Again?
- Tell me.
- Your father had been very sick.
We thought he would die.
Some of our animals had died.
- Cow?
- Yes, a cow,
a horse,
a yak...
and chickens.
We had four years
of bad crops.
- All the farmers did.
- Yes.
Then one night,
I knew you were coming...
and at dawn,
you were born.
- Tell me.
- You didn't cry.
- No cry.
- No, you didn't cry.
And that day,
your father got better.
He named you
Lhamo the Protector.
I know.
Go to sleep now, Lhamo.
Go to sleep.
- Me.
- No.
- Me.
- No. This must stop.
- Me, here.
- No, I am the father.
You are the child. You sit there.
No.
- Me sit here.
- No.
- What's the harm?
Let him sit where he wants.
- He'll grow up all wrong.
Only you can serve him.
Only you can touch his food.
Too clean.
- Everything just so.
- So what's the harm?
He thinks he's king.
Tell my story.
Not again.
Again. Me!
All right, Lhamo.
I'll tell you the story.
You were born at dawn.
It was so quiet outside.
I helped Mama.
She asked for me.
When you were born, you didn't cry
at all. You never cried.
And I was surprised.
Then we gave you the sweet drink.
And you pooped all over!
Can you stop that?
- Rinpoche, I'll ride back
with you to the monastery.
- Thank you, Father.
There were crows.
I just remembered. There were crows.
- When?
- The morning Lhamo was born.
Do you remember?
You were sick,
and I brought him to you.
You said, "We'll call him Lhamo,"
and you went to pray.
I slept and later went outside
and saw them.
Huh?
A pair of crows had come to nest on
our roof as if they had come for Lhamo.
Just as they did
for the Dalai Lama.
This must stop now, Lhamo.
Yes?
Yes?
We are traveling
to Lhasa.
Please, come in.
It's so cold.
Your servants may use the kitchen.
This is mine.
I will give it to you
if you know who I am.
Lama.
Mine!
No, no, no, Lhamo.
Give it back.
I'm sorry.
He doesn't usually do such things.
Lhasa.
He always says he wants
to go to Lhasa. Lhamo.
Lhamo.
Thank you for joining us.
You say this is yours?
What else belongs to you?
Yes, those are yours.
Yes, those are yours.
Yes.
This is mine.
Mine, mine, mine, mine.
Yes, Kundun.
This is mine.
Mine. I need this.
This is mine, Mama.
Lhamo, I'll get you
a better one.
Come on Lhamo.
We have to leave now.
You must be a very high lama; a great
Tibetan monk. So this is a good thing.
Don't be scared. You're not the
first boy to be discovered like this,
and certainly
not the last.
I will never let harm come to you.
You must be a great man.
I know.
Who said you
could sit here?
Regent Reting,
Your Excellency.
The boy's caravan is near.
He has grown from the baby
you sent me to find, Excellency.
He's very strong.
Very inquisitive.
A little afraid. He's ready to meet
the man who discovered him.
We are going to shave your head now.
Don't be afraid.
- Don't be afraid, Rinpoche.
- Come here! Come here!
- We are going to cut your hair.
- Where are you going?
Come here, come here, come here.
Can you recite, "May I be
the doctor and the medicine,
and may I be the nurse
for all sick beings in the world...
until everyone is healed"?
Can you remember?
"May I be the protector
for those without one.
May I be a bridge,
a boat, a ship...
for all who wish
to cross the water."
Centuries ago,
a boy was born in Tibet.
His name was Gendendrub.
The night of his birth
robbers came to his home,
and his family had to run
to save their lives.
They hid the baby.
When they returned
the next day,
the baby was alive.
He was guarded by
a pair of black crows.
He was the first.
He was Chenrezig.
We call him Kundun.
Chenrezig ke khyen.
I saw you in a vision.
I am Reting, your regent.
I found you.
It was difficult.
But you left me good signs.
I hope it was not
too long a wait, Kundun.
You have chosen to come back
to this life once more.
You will stay
as long as you can.
And then,
you will come again.
You will be born
again and again...
as long as
all life continues.
You are here to love
all living things.
Just love them.
Care for them.
Have compassion for them.
"As long as
any living thing draws breath,
wherever he shall be,
there in compassion...
shall the Buddha appear."
The Buddha of Compassion.
The Wish-fulfilling Jewel.
The 14th Dalai Lama.
Your Lord Chamberlain
will see you now.
Your Holiness, I am Phala,
Your Lord Chamberlain,
to serve you however I can.
Fifth Dalai Lama.
Seventh Dalai Lama.
Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
And when you come of age,
you will hold...
the Great Seal.
Very auspicious,
14th Dalai Lama.
Shall I tear it?
Yeah? Just watch me.
- Your turn. Let's play.
- Power!
I'm on a big mountain
hitting at men.
- I am braver.
- I have more men.
I have smarter men.
I have all the men.
Today you lose, Kundun.
Tomorrow you may win.
Things change, Kundun.
Reting is asking too much from us.
How much more land and money do we
have to give him for finding the boy?
It comes from our pockets.
And then there are the gifts
and the estates to offer
the Dalai Lama's family.
- Look at Father.
- Our purses are empty.
Our army is depleted.
The regent is asking for too high
a reward for finding the Dalai Lama.
He would have us pull
the hairs from our noses.
Surely you're not suggesting
that the cost for finding the boy...
come from Reting's
own pocket.
He didn't ask for this position. He'd
rather be at his hermitage in retreat.
With all his women!
The Great 13th... Can't we all see him
in the face of this beautiful child?
He dared to be reborn
right on the Chinese border.
It's as if he took a scarf
and threw it as far as he could...
so it landed in Amdo,
right smack in the face of China.
And he said, "This is Tibet.
I will be born here."
Right to the edge of our country,
and he says, "This is my Tibet."
Your new home, your servants...
everything is as you wish?
We are very fortunate.
Thank you, Regent.
Mama.
I don't like it here.
This is an old,
dark place.
But you will like
the summer palace better.
There are gardens
and animals...
like deer and dogs,
little bears and birds...
peacocks.
Elephants?
No... but a river
and a lake.
- Fish.
- Many fish.
Who's that woman here?
She's Penden Lhamo.
It is her special duty to protect you
and the government of Tibet.
Is she real or pretend?
She's real.
She's real.
Small ones first.
Wait. Big ones,
don't eat. No, no, no.
Let the small one finish.
- Holiness, will you take
the head of the table?
- That's your place.
Dalai Lama is not supposed to
eat pork. It's bad for your brain.
Go study. I get in trouble
if you don't study.
The Dalai Lama
is not supposed to eat eggs.
I'm sorry.
We have him at last.
Pompo, eggs!
Look! Eggs!
- Eggs? No eggs!
- Go away!
- That's not the way
you talk to people.
- But I'm in charge.
Of whom?
Can I save the sheep outside
so they don't die?
- You're rich. Buy them.
- Will you buy them for me?
Where will you keep them?
Here. You and me.
Then I'll buy them for you.
You have
beautiful horses now.
Yes, I do. Go now.
I don't want to go.
My teeth are in there.
- What teeth?
- My teeth. I-I remember.
Open it, Pompo. Open it.
My old teeth.
They belong to
the 13th Dalai Lama.
Holiness.
Taktra Rinpoche,
the Oracle has told me...
that if I don't leave Lhasa
and devote myself to prayer,
my life will be cut short.
Please, do it
right away, Reting.
- You agree I should resign?
- Yes, Excellency, I do.
The people are saying,
"How can Reting give
the Dalai Lama his vows if
he has not kept them himself?"
I am sorry,
Reting Rinpoche, but it's true.
I will resign.
But after the danger is over,
I will return to the position of regent.
We only wish to do
what is best for His Holiness.
Ling Rinpoche.
Trichang Rinpoche.
"I take refuge
in the three jewels:
The Buddha, the Dharma
and the Sangha,
until I attain
enlightenment."
Taktra, where is Reting?
Where is Reting today?
He has left Lhasa, Holiness.
Where did he go?
A retreat, Holiness.
How long?
Several years.
He has left your service.
Another regent
will be chosen.
I don't understand.
It's not for your years,
Holiness.
Why not for my years?
"I take refuge in the Buddha,
the Dharma and the Sangha."
I want you to be
my new regent.
That is an order.
"I take refuge
in the three jewels:
The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha,
until I attain enlightenment."
- Lobsang, now?
- Go, go!
Lhamo!
Oh, no. But they found them.
The gifts from the West.
His things... the Great 13th Dalai Lama...
Consider the importance
of the Four Noble Truths.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
The Four Noble Truths
as taught by the Lord Buddha are:
The Truth of Suffering,
the Truth of Why We Suffer,
- the Truth of the End of Suff...
- You are exhibiting
too much pride here.
Lower your head.
Ling Rinpoche is your teacher.
You bow down before him.
- What are the causes of suffering?
- Pride.
Pride causes suffering.
You recite.
Think of what you know.
I need to squeeze this brain.
Answer.
First, one understands
that he causes...
much of his own suffering
needlessly.
Second, he looks for the reasons
for this in his own life.
To look is to have confidence in one's
own ability to end the suffering.
Finally, a wish arises
to find a path to peace,
for all beings
desire happiness.
All wish to find
their purest selves.
It's time for you
to leave him.
I don't want you to go.
We are older now.
You'll be fine.
- I'll miss you.
- You are a good Dalai Lama.
I see a safe journey.
I see a safe return.
This is Britain.
Where's Poland, Norbu?
I don't know, Holiness.
Where's Pearl Harbor?
Do you know, Pompo?
I do not.
This is Tibet...
And this is China.
- How many soldiers do we have?
- About 5,000, Holiness.
Five thousand.
So many.
That's a lot.
Certainly, we are safe in Tibet.
We hope, Kundun.
"Liars.
Fools.
You learned...
You learned nothing.
Five forms of degeneration.
The red... ideology.
Danger from within...
and without.
Devotion.
Skill. Regret.
Failure."
"Heed the warning...
of your predecessor...
or the war...
will end here."
"Careful.
Careful."
Holiness, we have a letter.
The 13th Dalai Lama
wrote this letter...
the year before he died;
before you were born.
"When I reached
the age of 18,
I was called upon to accept...
the responsibility
of serving as spiritual...
and secular head
of the country.
The responsibility
was by no means small,
and it weighed heavily
upon my mind.
And then
the Chinese invaded."
"There was really
nothing much we could do,
other than pray.
Our prayers
were soon answered.
For the power of truth
is great and karma, infallible.
We routed the Chinese out.
It may happen...
that here in Tibet...
religion and government
will be attacked.
The monasteries will be looted
and destroyed...
and the monks and nuns
killed... or chased away.
We will become like slaves
to our conquerors...
and made to wander
helplessly... like beggars."
The days and nights
will pass slowly...
and with great suffering
and terror."
Where were you born, Taktra?
In Kyarpo, Holiness.
And you, Phala?
Lhasa, Holiness.
- Right here.
- Yes, Holiness.
What can I do?
I'm only a boy.
You are the man
who wrote this letter.
You are the man
who has come back to lead us.
You will soon have
great responsibilities.
You must know what to do.
...but to a single B-29 over
the Japanese city of Hiroshima,
it was the beginning
of a new era for civilization.
8:15 in the morning
found a 400-pound bomb...
with the destructive force
of 20,000 tons of TNT...
mushrooming up
over the stunned enemy city.
To the frightened inhabitants,
the end of the world had come.
The almost horribly beautiful mushroom
cloud ballooned up into the heavens.
The luminous formation
was to become the trademark...
for incredible death
and destruction.
One scientist had sounded
an ominous warning when he said,
"An atom bomb explosion is
the nearest thing to doomsday
one could possibly imagine.
I'm sure that at the end of the world,
in the last millisecond
of the Earth's existence,
the last man will see
what we saw today."
How is human life precious?
As a result of previous karma,
You have obtained this human life.
"Oh, ignorant one.
Do not fall asleep now."
I can't see!
What is happening?
It's my friend.
Leave him alone!
Norbu, what is happening?
- Reting Rinpoche has been arrested.
- Reting?
Kundun, I am sorry.
This is not for your eyes.
Why not for my eyes?
- Summon the Kashag.
- Holiness.
What happened to Reting?
It is very complicated, Holiness.
Tell me.
Reting Rinpoche thought
he could return as regent.
This was no longer possible,
Holiness.
There was an attempt
on Taktra Rinpoche's life.
Really?
Reting was arrested. The Sera Monks
fought today on Reting's behalf.
The monks have guns?
In this case, yes, Holiness.
I didn't know monks had guns.
No, of course not, Holiness.
Where is Reting Rinpoche now?
He is imprisoned here
at the Potala, Holiness.
There is a prison
in the Potala?
There has always been
a prison here, Holiness.
I think there are some things
we need to change here in Tibet.
- We will have tea, please, Pompo.
- Yes.
- Were you hurt, Taktra Rinpoche?
- I am fine, Kundun.
I am old
and too tough to kill.
Now, tell me about China.
Yes. Again, a very
complicated situation, Holiness.
Your Holiness, the Chinese are once
again trying to convince the world...
that Tibet belongs to them.
- Tibet is Tibet.
- For a long time, Holiness,
we have agreed to disagree.
We knew,
and we knew that they knew.
Now, they are trying
to rewrite history.
How unfortunate.
Why don't we ask all
the Chinese living here to leave?
If there are no Chinese in Tibet,
we cannot be a Chinese region.
Very good, Kundun.
It is time we remind
the world we are independent,
would you say, Holiness?
Can India help us? They know
we are not a part of China.
India is a newly independent nation.
They are struggling.
They are in no position
to help us.
Britain?
Britain chooses not to.
And America?
America. America.
We shall see, Holiness.
I shall write a letter
to the president of America.
Excellent, Kundun.
I will go see
Reting Rinpoche now.
I must advise against that,
Holiness.
I want Reting Rinpoche
well cared for.
He is my teacher.
He found me.
It will be as you say, Holiness.
I need to know
what you know now.
I'm no longer a child.
And so, Mao Tse-tung
has called for all-out war.
He will settle for nothing less
than a red China.
Will the Iron Curtain
descend over Asia, as it has
over Russia and Eastern Europe?
It is conceivable that this declaration
of war, following 20 years of fighting,
may mark the final moments
of a free China.
Mao Tse-tung is now mounting
an offensive in Peking.
Listen to this:
"To Mr. Truman, the President
of the United States of America:
I am glad that you are enjoying best
of health and doing good service...
to uplift the happiness
and prosperity of the whole world.
Here, I am well and doing
my best for the religion...
of Lord Buddha and welfare
of all beings."
- This is all so far.
- Yes.
Kundun, Reting Rinpoche
has died in prison.
Now, do not be distracted
as you enter into the coming...
of the awareness.
Do not be distracted.
Go to your father.
He is dead.
Your mother would like you
to perform last rites, Holiness.
Now, do not be distracted.
The Communists have control of China.
Jealousy came.
The Buddha of Compassion
should know this.
Mao Tse-tung has presented Tibet
with three demands:
One: Tibet must accept
that it is part of China.
Two: Tibet's defenses
must be conducted by China.
Three: All political and trade matters
concerning foreign countries...
must be conducted
through China.
What would you do, Holiness?
If we agree to the first point,
that Tibet is part of China,
then nothing else
will matter.
We will buy them!
We will buy them!
What would you do, Taktra-la?
I am only a bug.
I would reject all three points.
I would say, we accept
no conditions from the Chinese.
We should hear
what the people have to say.
I will consult our protective deities.
Lord Buddha appears where he is needed.
As you say.
Enter.
Summon the Kashag.
- Your Holiness.
- Yes?
The Chinese have invaded.
## [Men Chanting]
## [Music Fades, Stops]
- [Boy] Tell me.
- [Woman] Again?
- Tell me.
- Your father had been very sick.
We thought he would die.
Some of our animals had died.
- Cow?
- Yes, a cow,
a horse,
a yak...
and chickens.
We had four years
of bad crops.
- All the farmers did.
- Yes.
Then one night,
I knew you were coming...
and at dawn,
you were born.
- Tell me.
- You didn't cry.
- No cry.
- No, you didn't cry.
And that day,
your father got better.
He named you
Lhamo the Protector.
I know.
Go to sleep now, Lhamo.
Go to sleep.
## [Chanting Resumes]
- ## [Chanting Stops]
- [Rooster Crows]
- [Horse Whinnies]
- [Conversing In Tibetan, Chuckling]
Shh!
[Soft Moan]
[Rapid Footsteps]
[Creaking]
[Horse Nickers]
[Playful Growling]
[People Chanting
In Distance]
- Me.
- No.
- Me.
- No. This must stop.
- Me, here.
- No, I am the father.
You are the child. You sit there.
- [Growling]
- No.
- Me sit here.
- [Groans] No.
[Grunts]
- Oh, what's the harm?
Let him sit where he wants.
- He'll grow up all wrong.
Only you can serve him.
Only you can touch his food.
Too clean.
- Everything just so.
- So what's the harm?
He thinks he's king.
Tell my story.
- [All Groan]
- Not again.
Again. Me!
[Growls]
All right, Lhamo.
I'll tell you the story.
You were born at dawn.
It was so quiet outside.
I helped Mama.
She asked for me.
When you were born, you didn't cry
at all. You never cried.
And I was surprised.
Then we gave you the sweet drink.
- And you pooped all over!
- [All Laughing]
- [Lhamo, Indistinct]
- Can you stop that?
- Rinpoche, I'll ride back
with you to the monastery.
- Thank you, Father.
There were crows.
I just remembered. There were crows.
- When?
- The morning Lhamo was born.
Do you remember?
- Hmm.
- You were sick,
and I brought him to you.
You said, "We'll call him Lhamo,"
and you went to pray.
I slept and later went outside
and saw them.
Huh?
A pair of crows had come to nest on
our roof as if they had come for Lhamo.
Just as they did
for the Dalai Lama.
Whee-whee!
[Groans]
This must stop now, Lhamo.
[Indistinct Chattering]
[Children Grunting, Chattering]
[Horse Whinnies]
- [Knocking]
- [Mother] Yes?
- [Knocking]
- Yes?
We are traveling
to Lhasa.
Oh, please, come in.
It's so cold.
[Speaking Tibetan]
[Mother]
Your servants may use the kitchen.
This is mine.
I will give it to you
if you know who I am.
Lama.
Mine!
No, no, no, Lhamo.
Give it back.
I'm sorry.
He doesn't usually do such things.
- [Mother Speaking Tibetan]
- [Tibetan]
- [Lhamo Crying]
- Lhasa.
He always says he wants
to go to Lhasa. Lhamo.
- [Crying Continues]
- Shh.
[Mother]
Lhamo.
[Whispering, Indistinct]
Thank you for joining us.
You say this is yours?
What else belongs to you?
Shh.
[Babbling]
[Ringing]
Yes, those are yours.
Yes, those are yours.
Yes.
This is mine.
Mine, mine, mine, mine.
Yes, Kundun.
Oh!
[Weeping]
This is mine.
Mine. I need this.
This is mine, Mama.
Lhamo, I'll get you
a better one.
[Conversing In Tibetan]
Come on Lhamo.
We have to leave now.
You must be a very high lama; a great
Tibetan monk. So this is a good thing.
Don't be scared. You're not the
first boy to be discovered like this,
and certainly
not the last.
I will never let harm come to you.
You must be a great man.
I know.
Who said you
could sit here?
[Geese Honking]
[Tibetan]
Regent Reting,
Your Excellency.
The boy's caravan is near.
[Sniffs]
[Men Murmuring]
He has grown from the baby
you sent me to find, Excellency.
He's very strong.
Very inquisitive.
A little afraid. He's ready to meet
the man who discovered him.
[Men Conversing
In Tibetan]
We are going to shave your head now.
Don't be afraid.
- Don't be afraid, Rinpoche.
- Come here! Come here!
- We are going to cut your hair.
- Where are you going?
Come here, come here, come here.
Can you recite, "May I be
the doctor and the medicine,
and may I be the nurse
for all sick beings in the world...
until everyone is healed"?
[Continues In Tibetan]
Can you remember?
"May I be the protector
for those without one.
[Reting Rinpoche Joins In]
May I be a bridge,
a boat, a ship...
for all who wish
to cross the water."
Centuries ago,
a boy was born in Tibet.
His name was Gendendrub.
The night of his birth
robbers came to his home,
and his family had to run
to save their lives.
They hid the baby.
When they returned
the next day,
the baby was alive.
He was guarded by
a pair of black crows.
He was the first.
He was Chenrezig.
We call him Kundun.
Chenrezig ke khyen.
I saw you in a vision.
I am Reting, your regent.
I found you.
It was difficult.
But you left me good signs.
I hope it was not
too long a wait, Kundun.
You have chosen to come back
to this life once more.
You will stay
as long as you can.
And then,
you will come again.
You will be born
again and again...
as long as
all life continues.
You are here to love
all living things.
Just love them.
Care for them.
Have compassion for them.
"As long as
any living thing draws breath,
wherever he shall be,
there in compassion...
shall the Buddha appear."
## [Horns]
## [Chanting]
The Buddha of Compassion.
The Wish-fulfilling Jewel.
The 14th Dalai Lama.
[Crowd Murmuring]
[Whispering In Tibetan]
[Crowd Murmuring Chant]
[Horse Whinnies]
[Indistinct Thudding]
[Crowd Chattering]
Your Lord Chamberlain
will see you now.
Your Holiness, I am Phala,
Your Lord Chamberlain,
to serve you however I can.
Mm.
Fifth Dalai Lama.
Seventh Dalai Lama.
Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
And when you come of age,
you will hold...
the Great Seal.
Oh-ho. Very auspicious,
14th Dalai Lama.
[Trickling Sound]
[Laughing]
Shall I tear it?
Yeah? Just watch me.
[Lmitating Ripping Noise]
- [Lmitating Ripping Noise]
- [Chuckling]
- Your turn. Let's play.
- Power!
[Missile Whistling,
Explosions]
I'm on a big mountain
hitting at men.
- I am braver.
- I have more men.
I have smarter men.
I have all the men.
Today you lose, Kundun.
Tomorrow you may win.
- [Snaps Fingers]
- Things change, Kundun.
- Kundun. Kundun. Kundun.
- [Tibetan]
- [Tibetan]
- Kundun. Kundun.
[Man #1]
Reting is asking too much from us.
How much more land and money do we
have to give him for finding the boy?
It comes from our pockets.
And then there are the gifts
and the estates to offer
the Dalai Lama's family.
- [Dalai Lama] Look at Father.
- Our purses are empty.
Our army is depleted.
The regent is asking for too high
a reward for finding the Dalai Lama.
He would have us pull
the hairs from our noses.
[Man #2]
Surely you're not suggesting
that the cost for finding the boy...
come from Reting's
own pocket.
He didn't ask for this position. He'd
rather be at his hermitage in retreat.
- [Men Laughing]
- With all his women! Yeah.
[Man #1]
The Great 13th... Can't we all see him
in the face of this beautiful child?
He dared to be reborn
right on the Chinese border.
It's as if he took a scarf
and threw it as far as he could...
so it landed in Amdo,
right smack in the face of China.
And he said, "This is Tibet.
I will be born here."
Right to the edge of our country,
and he says, "This is my Tibet."
Your new home, your servants...
everything is as you wish?
We are very fortunate.
Thank you, Regent.
Mama.
[Low Chanting In Tibetan]
Mama.
Shh-hh-hh.
I don't like it here.
This is an old,
dark place.
But you will like
the summer palace better.
There are gardens
and animals...
like deer and dogs,
little bears and birds...
peacocks.
Elephants?
No... but a river
and a lake.
- Fish.
- Many fish.
Who's that woman here?
She's Penden Lhamo.
It is her special duty to protect you
and the government of Tibet.
Is she real or pretend?
She's real.
She's real.
[Man Shouting,
Indistinct]
## [Horns, Percussion]
[Latches Clicking]
[Bird Trilling]
- [Whining]
- [Bleating]
Small ones first.
Wait. Big ones,
don't eat. No, no, no.
Let the small one finish.
[Door Slams]
- Holiness, will you take
the head of the table?
- That's your place.
Ah.
Dalai Lama is not supposed to
eat pork. It's bad for your brain.
Go study. I get in trouble
if you don't study.
The Dalai Lama
is not supposed to eat eggs.
[Dining Ware Clanking]
I'm sorry.
Oh! We have him at last.
Pompo, eggs!
Look! Eggs!
- [Pompo] Eggs? No eggs!
- Go away!
- That's not the way
you talk to people.
- But I'm in charge.
Of whom?
Can I save the sheep outside
so they don't die?
- You're rich. Buy them.
- Will you buy them for me?
Where will you keep them?
Here. You and me.
Then I'll buy them for you.
You have
beautiful horses now.
Yes, I do. Go now.
I don't want to go.
My teeth are in there.
- What teeth?
- My teeth. I-I remember.
- Open it, Pompo. Open it.
- [Tibetan]
My old teeth.
They belong to
the 13th Dalai Lama.
[Whispering]
Holiness.
[Men Conversing
In Tibetan]
[Reting Rinpoche]
Taktra Rinpoche,
the Oracle has told me...
that if I don't leave Lhasa
and devote myself to prayer,
my life will be cut short.
Please, do it
right away, Reting.
- You agree I should resign?
- Yes, Excellency, I do.
The people are saying,
"How can Reting give
the Dalai Lama his vows if
he has not kept them himself?"
I am sorry,
Reting Rinpoche, but it's true.
I will resign.
But after the danger is over,
I will return to the position of regent.
We only wish to do
what is best for His Holiness.
Ling Rinpoche.
Trichang Rinpoche.
[Clears Throat]
"I take refuge
in the three jewels:
The Buddha, the Dharma
and the Sangha,
until I attain
enlightenment."
Taktra, where is Reting?
Where is Reting today?
He has left Lhasa, Holiness.
Where did he go?
A retreat, Holiness.
How long?
Several years.
- Oh!
- He has left your service.
Another regent
will be chosen.
I don't understand.
It's not for your years,
Holiness.
Why not for my years?
"I take refuge in the Buddha,
the Dharma and the Sangha."
I want you to be
my new regent.
That is an order.
"I take refuge
in the three jewels:
[Slurping]
The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha,
until I attain enlightenment."
[Whistling]
[Tibetan]
## [Herder Singing In Tibetan]
[Sheep Bleating]
[Engine Revving]
- Lobsang, now?
- Go, go!
[Car Backfires]
[Crashing]
[All Chattering]
- Whoa!
- Whoa!
- Ahh!
- Ohh!
- Lhamo!
- ## [Chiming]
- Hmm.
- Oh.
[Man]
Oh, no. But they found them.
[Man # 2] The gifts from the West.
His things... the Great 13th Dalai Lama...
[Both Continue In Tibetan]
- [Clicking]
- [Monks Murmuring]
[All Chuckling]
[People Chanting
In Tibetan]
## [Group Singing Work Song
In Tibetan]
[Children Chattering, Laughing]
## [Continues]
[Ling Rinpoche]
Consider the importance
of the Four Noble Truths.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
[Dalai Lama] The Four Noble Truths
as taught by the Lord Buddha are:
The Truth of Suffering,
the Truth of Why We Suffer,
- the Truth of the End of Suff...
- You are exhibiting
too much pride here.
Lower your head.
Ling Rinpoche is your teacher.
You bow down before him.
- What are the causes of suffering?
- Pride.
Pride causes suffering.
You recite.
Think of what you know.
I need to squeeze this brain.
[Laughing]
Answer.
First, one understands
that he causes...
much of his own suffering
needlessly.
Second, he looks for the reasons
for this in his own life.
To look is to have confidence in one's
own ability to end the suffering.
Finally, a wish arises
to find a path to peace,
for all beings
desire happiness.
All wish to find
their purest selves.
It's time for you
to leave him.
I don't want you to go.
We are older now.
You'll be fine.
- I'll miss you.
- You are a good Dalai Lama.
I see a safe journey.
I see a safe return.
This is Britain.
Ahh.
Where's Poland, Norbu?
I don't know, Holiness.
Where's Pearl Harbor?
Do you know, Pompo?
I do not.
This is Tibet...
- [Norbu] Mmm.
- And this is China.
- How many soldiers do we have?
- About 5,000, Holiness.
[Whispers]
Five thousand.
So many.
That's a lot.
Certainly, we are safe in Tibet.
We hope, Kundun.
## [Horns, Percussion]
[Hissing]
- ## [Stops]
- [Monks Chattering]
[Hissing]
- [Tibetan]
- [Lord Chamberlain Interpreting]
"Liars.
- [Continues]
- Fools.
You learned...
You learned nothing.
Five forms of degeneration.
The red... ideology.
Danger from within...
and without.
Devotion.
Skill. Regret.
- Failure."
- [Tapping Breastplate]
[Hissing]
[Monks Murmuring]
- ## [Cymbal Rattles]
- [Slurps]
- [Tibetan]
- "Heed the warning...
of your predecessor...
or the war...
will end here."
- [Tibetan]
- "Careful.
Careful."
[Hissing]
Yaah!
## [Horns,
Percussion Resumes]
## [Dies Down, Stops]
Holiness, we have a letter.
The 13th Dalai Lama
wrote this letter...
the year before he died;
before you were born.
"When I reached
the age of 18,
I was called upon to accept...
the responsibility
of serving as spiritual...
and secular head
of the country.
The responsibility
was by no means small,
and it weighed heavily
upon my mind.
And then
the Chinese invaded."
"There was really
nothing much we could do,
other than pray.
Our prayers
were soon answered.
For the power of truth
is great and karma, infallible.
We routed the Chinese out.
It may happen...
that here in Tibet...
religion and government
will be attacked.
The monasteries will be looted
and destroyed...
and the monks and nuns
killed... or chased away.
We will become like slaves
to our conquerors...
and made to wander
helplessly... like beggars."
[Lord Chamberlain]
The days and nights
will pass slowly...
and with great suffering
and terror."
Where were you born, Taktra?
In Kyarpo, Holiness.
And you, Phala?
Lhasa, Holiness.
- Right here.
- Yes, Holiness.
What can I do?
I'm only a boy.
You are the man
who wrote this letter.
You are the man
who has come back to lead us.
You will soon have
great responsibilities.
You must know what to do.
[Newsreel Announcer]
...but to a single B-29 over
the Japanese city of Hiroshima,
it was the beginning
of a new era for civilization.
[Explosion]
8:15 in the morning
found a 400-pound bomb...
with the destructive force
of 20,000 tons of TNT...
mushrooming up
over the stunned enemy city.
To the frightened inhabitants,
the end of the world had come.
The almost horribly beautiful mushroom
cloud ballooned up into the heavens.
The luminous formation
was to become the trademark...
for incredible death
and destruction.
One scientist had sounded
an ominous warning when he said,
"An atom bomb explosion is
the nearest thing to doomsday
one could possibly imagine.
I'm sure that at the end of the world,
in the last millisecond
of the Earth's existence,
the last man will see
what we saw today."
## [Ominous Coda]
How is human life precious?
As a result of previous karma,
- [Distant Gunshot]
- You have obtained this human life.
- [Gunshots Continue]
- "Oh, ignorant one.
Do not fall asleep now."
[Monks Chattering Excitedly]
I can't see!
What is happening?
[Gunshot]
It's my friend.
Leave him alone!
Norbu, what is happening?
- Reting Rinpoche has been arrested.
- Reting?
Kundun, I am sorry.
This is not for your eyes.
Why not for my eyes?
- Summon the Kashag.
- Holiness.
What happened to Reting?
It is very complicated, Holiness.
Tell me.
[Clears Throat] Reting Rinpoche
thought he could return as regent.
This was no longer possible,
Holiness.
There was an attempt
on Taktra Rinpoche's life.
Really?
Reting was arrested. The Sera Monks
fought today on Reting's behalf.
The monks have guns?
In this case, yes, Holiness.
I didn't know monks had guns.
No, of course not, Holiness.
Where is Reting Rinpoche now?
He is imprisoned here
at the Potala, Holiness.
There is a prison
in the Potala?
There has always been
a prison here, Holiness.
I think there are some things
we need to change here in Tibet.
- We will have tea, please, Pompo.
- Yes.
- Were you hurt, Taktra Rinpoche?
- I am fine, Kundun.
I am old
and too tough to kill.
[Laughs]
Now, tell me about China.
Ah, yes. Again, a very
complicated situation, Holiness.
Your Holiness, the Chinese are once
again trying to convince the world...
that Tibet belongs to them.
- Tibet is Tibet.
- For a long time, Holiness,
we have agreed to disagree.
We knew,
and we knew that they knew.
[Counselor] Now, they are
trying to rewrite history.
How unfortunate.
Why don't we ask all
the Chinese living here to leave?
If there are no Chinese in Tibet,
we cannot be a Chinese region.
[Chuckles Quietly]
Very good, Kundun.
It is time we remind
the world we are independent,
would you say, Holiness?
Can India help us? They know
we are not a part of China.
India is a newly independent nation.
They are struggling.
They are in no position
to help us.
Britain?
Britain chooses not to.
And America?
America. America.
We shall see, Holiness.
I shall write a letter
to the president of America.
Excellent, Kundun.
I will go see
Reting Rinpoche now.
I must advise against that,
Holiness.
I want Reting Rinpoche
well cared for.
He is my teacher.
He found me.
It will be as you say, Holiness.
I need to know
what you know now.
I'm no longer a child.
[British Radio Announcer]
And so, Mao Tse-tung
has called for all-out war.
He will settle for nothing less
than a red China.
Will the Iron Curtain
descend over Asia, as it has
over Russia and Eastern Europe?
It is conceivable that this declaration
of war, following 20 years of fighting,
may mark the final moments
of a free China.
Mao Tse-tung is now mounting
an offensive in Peking.
- Kundun. Kundun.
- [Radio Continues, Indistinct]
Listen to this:
"To Mr. Truman, the President
of the United States of America:
I am glad that you are enjoying best
of health and doing good service...
to uplift the happiness
and prosperity of the whole world.
Here, I am well and doing
my best for the religion...
of Lord Buddha and welfare
of all beings."
- This is all so far.
- Yes.
Kundun, Reting Rinpoche
has died in prison.
[Taktra Rinpoche]
Now, do not be distracted
as you enter into the coming...
of the awareness.
Do not be distracted.
Go to your father.
He is dead.
Your mother would like you
to perform last rites, Holiness.
Now, do not be distracted.
[Chanting Solo]
[All Chanting]
[Chanting Continues]
[Squawking]
[Indistinct Clinking]
[Knife Blades Sharpening]
[Chimes Ringing]
[Taktra Rinpoche]
The Communists have control of China.
Jealousy came.
The Buddha of Compassion
should know this.
Mao Tse-tung has presented Tibet
with three demands:
One: Tibet must accept
that it is part of China.
Two: Tibet's defenses
must be conducted by China.
[Squawking]
Three: All political and trade matters
concerning foreign countries...
must be conducted
through China.
[Screeching]
What would you do, Holiness?
[Distant Animal Noises]
If we agree to the first point,
that Tibet is part of China,
then nothing else
will matter.
We will buy them!
We will buy them!
What would you do, Taktra-la?
I am only a bug.
[Laughing]
I would reject all three points.
I would say, we accept
no conditions from the Chinese.
We should hear
what the people have to say.
I will consult our protective deities.
Lord Buddha appears where he is needed.
[Taktra Rinpoche]
As you say.
## [Rhythmic Yelling,
Drumbeats]
## [Tempo Quickens]
## [Crescendos]
## [Men Singing In Tibetan]
[Yells]
- [Crowd Laughs]
- [Speaking Tibetan]
## [Continues]
## [Men, Women Singing
In Tibetan]
## [Grows Faint]
[Footsteps Approaching]
- [Knocking]
- [Taktra Rinpoche] Enter.
Summon the Kashag.
- Your Holiness.
- Yes?
The Chinese have invaded.
The Chinese have crossed the river
in six locations around Chamdo.
Has anyone died?
The radio operator said
one man had been killed.
Then he said,
"The Chinese soldiers, they're coming."
And then the radio
went silent.
This week began the peaceful
liberation of Tibet.
Members of the People's
Liberation Army have entered
this western region of China...
at the urging
of the Tibetan minority.
Long a stronghold
of imperialists, the Tibetan people
have found themselves living...
in a feudal kingdom
under the tyranny of the Dalai Lama.
As the People's Army moves
toward the capital of Lhasa,
the local peasants gratefully
welcome their liberators...
and happily join
the crusade.
What do the people say, Norbu?
They think it's time
for you to rule them now.
I'm too young.
I have no experience.
Of course you have experience,
Kundun. Who else would be here?
- Norbu?
- Yes, Holiness?
Do you ever wonder
if Reting found the right boy?
No.
I want to be 18
when I'm enthroned.
All the Dalai Lamas
were given until 18.
"His time has come."
Holiness, November 17, 1950...
has been selected as the most
auspicious day for your enthronement.
- Yes.
- We ask that...
you be prepared to leave Lhasa
immediately afterwards as a precaution.
As you say.
Tibet will call on
the West for help.
I am sending delegations to America
and Great Britain, as well as India,
in hope that these countries
will recognize our independence.
Lukhangwa and Lobsang Tashi,
I am making you
my prime ministers.
Send a delegation to China.
We will begin to make plans
for reforms and modernization.
Today, I declare
a general amnesty.
Free the prisoners.
It's time to take this down.
- You still won't come?
- No, Holiness.
You must continue
to study very hard,
and don't let them
tangle you in politics.
Remember, you're a monk.
I will miss you.
- We have had fun, you and I.
- Yes, we have.
- And you have grown up very good.
- And you...
have grown older and more stubborn,
but you've stayed good.
Tonight, Kundun,
you see the world.
"The gods will win.
The devils will lose."
I'll send it back to you.
It'll work.
Good-bye, Kundun.
We will move the govern-
ment to Dungkhar Monastery,
near the Indian border.
We will wait there for
the world's response to our crisis.
He goes for a short time. He will
not leave Tibet. He will return.
Please don't let him go.
Don't let him go.
The Precious One will
not abandon you. Please.
The Precious One will not
abandon you. He will return.
He will not leave Tibet.
Please, get up.
Please, let him go. Please, he will
return. He will not leave Tibet.
Please, please, he will not leave Tibet.
The Precious One will not abandon you.
Please. Please,
venerable monks, please. Please.
It's quiet.
Yes, Holiness.
- Where are you from?
- Kham, Holiness.
Warriors.
We are that, Holiness.
My army and the Khambas,
they fight with almost nothing.
No airplanes. No trucks.
No weapons. Nothing.
No one can stop them.
Not even me.
They fight for you, Holiness.
Are they wrong?
Violence is never good.
Every result, be it good or bad...
It had a cause.
Why have they come, Holiness?
What did we do that is bad?
Nonviolence takes a long time.
Do we have the time, Holiness?
I have never known.
Holiness?
This has come for you.
"Then, at the time of midnight,
the Bodhisattva
saw a clear light.
Then he saw in a single instant
the three states of existence:
The past, the present
and the future,
purified by the clear light.
Then, sitting at the Tree
of Enlightenment, he conquered...
all the devils."
No, no, wait.
Wait, wait, please. Let's do away
with some of these formalities.
It's enough now.
Stop, stop. Please.
Holiness,
your Nepalese visitors...
- It appears they've
brought you an elephant.
- An elephant?
- Yes, Kundun, an elephant.
- Is it here now?
- They have it with them.
- How fortunate.
He's a modern man,
just like he was the last time.
Today, the surrender of Tibet
is complete.
In Peking, representatives from
Tibet and the People's Republic...
signed a Seventeen Point Agreement
returning Tibet to the motherland.
The Dalai Lama's representatives
have signed the agreement in his name...
and with his best wishes
for Tibet's speedy reunification
with the motherland.
Point One: The Tibetan people
shall unite and drive out...
imperialist aggressors
from Tibet.
Your Holiness, may I present
General Chang Chin-Wu.
Chairman Mao asks me
to convey his respect.
I have been instructed
to provide you...
with this copy of the Seventeen Point
Agreement for your signature.
I am empowered to accept
your ratification.
I'm certain you wish
to return to Lhasa.
Do you have plans
to return soon?
We are discussing our plans.
And we can discuss our plans
with you in Lhasa, when you return.
Thank you. Let me know if we can be
of any help on your return journey.
I thought he would be
some kind of monster,
even with horns growing
out of his head.
But he is only a man, just an ordinary
human being, like myself.
They are the worst
of the worst.
They're worse than ghosts.
We were like you.
We were an isolated country.
Then trade began.
For our spices, silks, tea.
But there was nothing that we,
the Chinese, wanted from the West.
So they gave us something
to want: Opium. We craved opium.
They tried to use it
to destroy us, the imperialists.
We are here to rescue you
from imperialists,
or they'll do the same to you.
You cannot imagine,
sitting here,
where I came from.
The floods,
the famines,
were so bad.
China was fragmented.
Society was crumbling.
There was a day
before the war...
when I came upon a man
with a dead baby.
He was gonna cook it.
He shouted, "It died.
I did not kill it. It died."
That is what it was like
in China before Chairman Mao.
We believe that the time has come
for you to go to India.
India is our friend.
You'll be safe there.
The Americans will help us, Holiness.
You've read their letter.
That letter's unsigned.
It is not a real promise.
China is close.
America is far away.
Many Tibetans could die,
and China would still be close.
If you stay in Tibet,
we cannot guarantee
your safety, Holiness.
If you flee, Holiness,
you might never be able to return.
We've managed the Chinese
for many years.
These are not the Chinese we know,
Holiness. These are Communists.
The Fifth Dalai Lama joined
an alliance with the Chinese.
And a great spiritual revolution
began in the East.
A spiritual revolution?
Does it begin like this?
Friends, who is
the Fifth Dalai Lama now?
Things change.
Our own short lifetimes
are not the only consideration.
My first and foremost duty
is to protect my people.
I'm going back.
At first, things were good.
The People's Liberation Army
were kind and helpful.
But that was a long time ago.
They were with me all the time,
never left me alone.
Prodding and insulting and...
Mother, no women
in the monastery after dark.
Go on.
They have burned homes,
bullied people, like they did me.
They think l...
They let me come...
They let me go because...
Tell me.
The Chinese believe
I've agreed to kill you.
Kill me?
I am to convince the Dalai Lama
to agree to their rule,
and if I cannot convince you,
they believe I will kill you.
They think my own brother
will kill me?
They believe that?
I hate meeting up here.
This place is a tribute to the past!
And another thing.
I want the songs stopped.
Songs? What songs?
Street songs
about General Tan.
They are singing
about his gold watch.
He's right.
They are quite insulting.
We have no authority
to ban singing in our country.
Then ban the public meetings.
And we want 2,000 more tons
of barley.
This is impossible. You will bring
famine down on the people of Tibet.
More food. The best land
for your soldiers to camp.
The People's Liberation Army
pays for all food and lodging.
So far, they do.
But the quantity does not exist.
You'll have
to reevaluate your needs.
How much tea do you drink,
Prime Minister?
It depends on the quality,
and that it be Indian.
I am instructed to tell you today
that plans for the Tibetan Army...
to be absorbed into the People's
Liberation Army have been finalized...
- I will not approve it.
- Then, we will begin by replacing...
the Tibetan flag
with the flag of the motherland.
And we will begin
with tearing it down.
- I am so sorry.
- It must be done.
We can no longer meet
with the Chinese. They refuse us.
I accept your resignations.
Have you chosen
your new prime ministers, Holiness?
There will be
no new prime ministers.
They have taken away
our silence.
Britain, Nepal, America, India...
All of those governments have refused
to meet with our representatives.
And the United Nations?
The United Nations
voted not to hear our appeal.
So, we must face China
and her might all alone?
I'm afraid so. We have
no choice but to negotiate.
The Chinese must come to Lhasa.
Times are desperate, Phala.
We can go to Peking.
The news of the People's
Liberation Army's march into Tibet...
was enthusiastically supported
by all sections of the population.
In particular, Tibetans
in all parts of China...
jubilantly celebrated
the news...
and demanded their return
to the motherland.
The mission of China
is to bring progress to Tibet.
We welcome you, Tibet,
back to the motherland.
It is too early
to implement all the clauses
of the Seventeen Point Agreement.
The pace of reform
must meet...
with the desires
of the Tibetan people.
Changes must be made slowly,
as you, yourself,
judge necessary.
Tibet is a great land,
a wonderful history.
Long ago, you even conquered
a part of China.
But now, you have fallen behind,
and we want to help you.
In 20 years time,
you could be ahead of us.
And then, it will be your turn
to help China.
You know, my mother
was a Buddhist.
I have a great respect
for your Lord Buddha.
He was anti-caste,
anti-corruption, anti-exploitation.
For some,
politics and religion...
can mix.
Please, have some sweet.
Made in my home province.
The kind my mother used to make.
I have great hopes
for a mutual cooperation.
He has made important promises.
You know, his family were Buddhist.
They were farming people.
I think socialism and Buddhism
have some things in common.
She will be fine,
Your Holiness.
The climate does not
agree with her.
He has made
important promises.
As you say.
I hope you will not feel badly about all
the things of childhood you missed.
You lost so much.
I am sorry.
Good-bye, Kundun.
Good-bye, Kundun.
Good-bye, Kundun.
No, Norbu. Don't die.
No, none of you. Don't die.
In passing, a few words
about our nation's minorities.
The people of the whole country
are pleased that the minority
nationalities...
and the Han people are united.
But, we must combat
Han chauvinism.
Don't get the idea that it is
the Han nationality that...
has been primarily helping
the minority nationality.
The minority have given
the Han people great help.
Their every participation
in the community of the Chi...
Dalai Lama, excuse me.
Chairman Mao Tse-tung
has sent for you.
Dalai Lama.
Thank you for coming so late.
I leave tomorrow.
Yes, I know.
How has your stay been?
Very interesting.
Your factories are very impressive.
- And I enjoyed the agri...
- You have a lot to learn.
How to draw out people's opinions
and make decisions.
Instruct your young Tibetans,
when I make contact with you,
I want to reach you through
a Tibetan, not a Chinese.
Very good. I agree
with some of your ideas.
For years, we have been reforming
our monasteries and reorganizing...
Your attitude is good, you know.
I understand you well.
But you need to learn this:
Religion is poison.
Poison.
Like a poison,
it weakens the race.
Like a drug,
it retards the mind...
of people and society.
"The opiate of the people."
Tibet has been poisoned
by religion,
and your people
are poisoned and inferior.
Let me walk you
to your car.
We cannot persuade you
to stay in Peking?
I must return.
Take care of your health.
Write me often.
Welcome to your old home,
Your Holiness.
Are you happy?
I am very happy
and prosperous...
under the Chinese
Communist Party...
and Chairman Mao Tse-tung.
I admire them so.
They face a modern, equipped army,
and still they fight.
I have always asked
for just plain information.
The Chinese have bombed
the monastery of Lithang.
It has been destroyed.
They throw rocks from airplanes.
Nuns and monks are made
to fornicate in the streets.
They put their guns in the hands
of our Khamba children...
and force the child
to kill the parent.
Die!
I'll write to Mao again.
He doesn't answer
your letters, Kundun.
Nonviolence means cooperation
when it is possible...
and resistance
when it is not.
You have tried cooperation.
Your resistance must come
from outside Tibet, Kundun.
We will be moving Chinese families
into Tibet territory.
Farmers... 40,000.
A revolt has broken out
in the East.
We have decided that
the Tibetan army must be used
against the Khamba guerrillas.
General Tan,
our people would never...
You do not understand
our people.
I will not approve that.
You have bombed
on peaceful people.
- It is my job to deal
with reactionaries.
- No, we are peace-loving people.
We are here to heal
the people of Tibet.
You need reform.
We are here to liberate you.
No, Buddha is our physician,
General Tan. He will heal us.
Wisdom and compassion
will set us free.
You cannot liberate me,
General Tan.
I can only liberate myself.
You are in grave danger. The Dalai Lama
cannot fall into Chinese hands.
- Our only hope is to fight.
- We cannot.
If they kill you,
they kill Tibet.
You must flee.
"General Tan Kuan San wishes to invite
the Dalai Lama to a dance recital...
at the newly erected Great Hall
of the Liberation Army."
- A dance?
- Yes.
"And because of the climate
in Lhasa, General Tan requests...
that the Dalai Lama come
without his bodyguards."
"One attendant is fine," it says.
They would like to provide him.
Yes, I'm sure they would.
It's no time to anger
the Chinese, Phala.
There are tanks in the streets.
Airplanes wait outside Lhasa.
I think we can safely say the Chinese
are already angry, Holiness.
What would you do,
my friend?
I am only a bug, Holiness.
Holiness,
I would think of what survival
for Tibet really means...
in the years to come.
I would consider my duty
to protect my people.
And so,
I would leave now...
for India.
But I won't do that.
So, write them. Say I am sorry
to miss their dance.
Another time, maybe.
Tell them to write me often.
I know it's a lie.
But times are bad.
As you say.
You know, Kundun,
I would never have
let you go alone.
Don't ask me
to leave Tibet, Phala.
I won't ask you today, Holiness.
You must go. You must go.
Please don't go.
Please don't go. Please.
I beg you to leave, please.
Your Holiness...
"Where there is no crossing
a big river, no fords, no shallows,
Where the only hope is a boat,
and there is no boat,
I will put a boat, Kundun.
The Wish-fulfilling Jewel
will shine from the West."
Long live His Holiness!
- Long live His Holiness!
- Long live His Holiness!
- We have a letter. May I?
- Please.
"If the Dalai Lama
and a few trusted officers...
can stay within the inner wall
and inform General Tan...
exactly which building
you will occupy,
we certainly intend that
this building not be damaged."
They're going to bomb us.
- Apparently.
- Well, we want no mistakes.
He adds as a postscript:
"The Chinese have taken the strictest
measure to prevent your escape."
Tell them I will be here
with my people. Right here.
How is it outside today?
It's a sea of frightened faces.
There is a rumor
that His Holiness is gone.
The supply trucks coming
from the Potala...
- Could we fill them with guns?
- Yes, we could.
Khesan, I want you
to call the tailor in.
Have him make you
a soldier's uniform.
Make it look old and worn,
and do it quickly, please.
"Go. Tonight.
Go."
Holiness, the Oracle's route takes us
right past the Chinese encampment.
We cannot possibly...
- I'll fight them.
I'll get a gun and fight them.
- I am so confused.
I'm told we have to make a journey,
but no one tells me when or where.
I will go if you are going.
Just go ahead.
The saddest thing is,
we were about to change.
We were going
to do it alone.
We were just about
to do it alone.
- I'll go to war.
- The Dalai Lama
does not believe in war.
Dim the lights.
We have a long journey
to make, Pompo.
We do not know how it will end,
and it is very sad.
But I would not consider
going without you.
Holiness, the Chinese
have moved their camp.
The Oracle's route is safe
for us now. We must go.
- Yes.
- Sanctuary has been arranged in India.
- They're expecting you.
- Thank you.
I see a safe journey.
I see a safe return.
Now I am ready.
"I rejoice in the
Awakening of the Buddhas.
And also, in the spiritual levels
of their Sons.
And also, in the spiritual levels
of their Sons.
With folded hands, I beseech
the Buddhas of all directions...
to shine the lamp of Dharma for all
bewildered in the gloom of misery."
- Move aside. Let us through.
- Tour of inspection. Move aside.
Move aside.
Move aside. Move aside.
Tour of inspection.
- Move aside. Move aside.
- Move aside.
Let us through. Move aside.
Let us through.
We have time.
We have time. Move aside.
Let us through.
Move aside.
Move aside.
Move aside!
With folded hands,
I beseech all the Buddhas...
who wish to pass away,
to please remain for countless aeons...
and not to leave
the world in darkness.
My foes will become nothing.
My friends will become nothing.
I, too, will become nothing.
Likewise, all will become...
nothing.
"Right will win.
Wrong will lose."
Just like a dream experience,
whatever things I enjoy
will become a memory.
Whatever is past
will not be seen again.
I will liberate
those not liberated.
I will release
those not released.
I will relieve
those unrelieved.
And set living beings
in nirvana.
We repudiate the
Seventeen Point Agreement.
We constitute
a temporary government of Tibet,
the only legal authority
in the land.
The Buddhas neither wash
ill deeds away with water,
nor remove beings' sufferings
with their hands,
nor transfer their realizations
to others.
Beings are released
through the teachings of the truth.
The final reality.
Hurry, Holiness. The Chinese are close.
Hurry, Kundun.
They are close.
Kundun, you must walk
to India.
We have won.
Come on.
Thus, by the virtue
that has collected...
through all
that I have done,
may the pain of every living creature
be completely cleared away.
With all respect, sir,
may I ask,
who are you?
What you see before you
is a man, a simple monk.
Are you the Lord Buddha?
I think I am a reflection,
like the moon on water.
When you see me,
and I try to be a good man,
you see yourself.
Subrip by masken, 17:50 2003-06-30
All hearing impaired text removed.
Sync: Kundun.1997.INTERNAL.DVDRip.XviD-SChiZO
## [Instruments Join In]
## [Chinese Chorus Singing]
## [Instruments, Chorus
Fade, End]
The Chinese have crossed the river
in six locations around Chamdo.
- Has anyone died?
- [Sighs]
The radio operator said
one man had been killed.
Then he said,
"The Chinese soldiers, they're coming."
And then the radio
went silent.
## [Militaristic Drumbeat
Resumes]
[Chinese Radio Announcer]
This week began the peaceful
liberation of Tibet.
Members of the People's
Liberation Army have entered
this western region of China...
at the urging
of the Tibetan minority.
Long a stronghold
of imperialists, the Tibetan people
have found themselves living...
in a feudal kingdom
under the tyranny of the Dalai Lama.
As the People's Army moves
toward the capital of Lhasa,
the local peasants gratefully
welcome their liberators...
and happily join
the crusade.
What do the people say, Norbu?
They think it's time
for you to rule them now.
I'm too young.
I have no experience.
Of course you have experience,
Kundun. Who else would be here?
- Norbu?
- Yes, Holiness?
Do you ever wonder
if Reting found the right boy?
No.
I want to be 18
when I'm enthroned.
All the Dalai Lamas
were given until 18.
## [Percussion, Horns]
[Hissing]
[Monks Muttering]
- [Grunts]
- "His time has come."
[Monks Chanting]
Holiness, November 17, 1950...
has been selected as the most
auspicious day for your enthronement.
- Yes.
- We ask that...
you be prepared to leave Lhasa
immediately afterwards as a precaution.
As you say.
[Sniffling]
## [Horns Blaring]
## [Horns Fade, Stop]
## [Cymbals Crash,
Horns Resume]
[Low Chanting]
[Chanting Stops]
[Dalai Lama] Tibet will
call on the West for help.
I am sending delegations to America
and Great Britain, as well as India,
in hope that these countries
will recognize our independence.
Lukhangwa and Lobsang Tashi,
I am making you
my prime ministers.
Send a delegation to China.
We will begin to make plans
for reforms and modernization.
Today, I declare
a general amnesty.
Free the prisoners.
It's time to take this down.
- You still won't come?
- No, Holiness.
You must continue
to study very hard,
and don't let them
tangle you in politics.
Remember, you're a monk.
I will miss you.
- We have had fun, you and I.
- Yes, we have.
- And you have grown up very good.
- And you...
have grown older and more stubborn,
but you've stayed good.
Tonight, Kundun,
you see the world.
"The gods will win.
The devils will lose."
[Ratcheting Noise]
[Horse Neighs]
I'll send it back to you.
It'll work.
Good-bye, Kundun.
## [Militaristic Drumbeat
Resumes]
## [Fades, Ends]
[Taktra Rinpoche] We will move
the government to Dungkhar Monastery,
near the Indian border.
We will wait there for
the world's response to our crisis.
[Men Shouting
In Distance]
[Monks Speak Urgently
In Tibetan]
He goes for a short time. He will
not leave Tibet. He will return.
Please don't let him go.
Don't let him go.
[Pleading In Tibetan]
[Pleading Together]
[Ling Rinpoche] The Precious One
will not abandon you. Please.
The Precious One will not
abandon you. He will return.
He will not leave Tibet.
Please, get up.
Please, let him go. Please, he will
return. He will not leave Tibet.
Please, please, he will not leave Tibet.
The Precious One will not abandon you.
Please. Please,
venerable monks, please. Please.
[Monk Chanting]
It's quiet.
Yes, Holiness.
- Where are you from?
- Kham, Holiness.
Warriors.
We are that, Holiness.
My army and the Khambas,
they fight with almost nothing.
No airplanes. No trucks.
No weapons. Nothing.
No one can stop them.
Not even me.
They fight for you, Holiness.
Are they wrong?
Violence is never good.
Every result, be it good or bad...
It had a cause.
Why have they come, Holiness?
What did we do that is bad?
Nonviolence takes a long time.
Do we have the time, Holiness?
I have never known.
[Monk Chanting, Faint]
Holiness?
This has come for you.
"Then, at the time of midnight,
the Bodhisattva
saw a clear light.
Then he saw in a single instant
the three states of existence:
The past, the present
and the future,
purified by the clear light.
Then, sitting at the Tree
of Enlightenment, he conquered...
all the devils."
## [Horn Blowing,
Growing Louder]
No, no, wait.
[Continues In Tibetan]
Wait, wait, please. Let's do away
with some of these formalities.
It's enough now.
Stop, stop. Please.
Holiness,
your Nepalese visitors...
- It appears they've
brought you an elephant.
- An elephant?
- Yes, Kundun, an elephant.
- Is it here now?
- They have it with them.
- How fortunate.
He's a modern man,
just like he was the last time.
[Chinese Radio Announcer]
Today, the surrender of Tibet
is complete.
In Peking, representatives from
Tibet and the People's Republic...
signed a Seventeen Point Agreement
returning Tibet to the motherland.
The Dalai Lama's representatives
have signed the agreement in his name...
and with his best wishes
for Tibet's speedy reunification
with the motherland.
- [Plates Crashing]
- Point One: The Tibetan people
shall unite and drive out...
imperialist aggressors
from Tibet.
[Announcer Fades Out]
Your Holiness, may I present
General Chang Chin-Wu.
Chairman Mao asks me
to convey his respect.
I have been instructed
to provide you...
with this copy of the Seventeen Point
Agreement for your signature.
I am empowered to accept
your ratification.
I'm certain you wish
to return to Lhasa.
Do you have plans
to return soon?
[Clears Throat]
We are discussing our plans.
And we can discuss our plans
with you in Lhasa, when you return.
Thank you. Let me know if we can be
of any help on your return journey.
[Men Chattering]
I thought he would be
some kind of monster,
even with horns growing
out of his head.
But he is only a man, just an ordinary
human being, like myself.
They are the worst
of the worst.
They're worse than ghosts.
[Chanting]
[General Chang Chin-Wu]
We were like you.
We were an isolated country.
Then trade began.
For our spices, silks, tea.
But there was nothing that we,
the Chinese, wanted from the West.
So they gave us something
to want: Opium. We craved opium.
They tried to use it
to destroy us, the imperialists.
We are here to rescue you
from imperialists,
or they'll do the same to you.
[Monk Chanting]
You cannot imagine,
sitting here,
where I came from.
The floods,
the famines,
were so bad.
China was fragmented.
Society was crumbling.
There was a day
before the war...
when I came upon a man
with a dead baby.
He was gonna cook it.
He shouted, "It died.
I did not kill it. It died."
That is what it was like
in China before Chairman Mao.
[Gasping]
We believe that the time has come
for you to go to India.
India is our friend.
You'll be safe there.
The Americans will help us, Holiness.
You've read their letter.
That letter's unsigned.
It is not a real promise.
China is close.
America is far away.
Many Tibetans could die,
and China would still be close.
[Clears Throat]
If you stay in Tibet,
we cannot guarantee
your safety, Holiness.
If you flee, Holiness,
you might never be able to return.
We've managed the Chinese
for many years.
These are not the Chinese we know,
Holiness. These are Communists.
The Fifth Dalai Lama joined
an alliance with the Chinese.
And a great spiritual revolution
began in the East.
A spiritual revolution?
Does it begin like this?
Friends, who is
the Fifth Dalai Lama now?
- [Snaps]
- Things change.
Our own short lifetimes
are not the only consideration.
My first and foremost duty
is to protect my people.
I'm going back.
[Conversing In Tibetan]
[Dalai Lama's Eldest Brother]
At first, things were good.
The People's Liberation Army
were kind and helpful.
But that was a long time ago.
They were with me all the time,
never left me alone.
Prodding and insulting and...
Mother, no women
in the monastery after dark.
Go on.
They have burned homes,
bullied people, like they did me.
They think l...
They let me come...
They let me go because...
Tell me.
The Chinese believe
I've agreed to kill you.
Kill me?
I am to convince the Dalai Lama
to agree to their rule,
and if I cannot convince you,
they believe I will kill you.
They think my own brother
will kill me?
They believe that?
[Engines Rumbling]
I hate meeting up here.
This place is a tribute to the past!
And another thing.
I want the songs stopped.
Songs? What songs?
Street songs
about General Tan.
They are singing
about his gold watch.
He's right.
They are quite insulting.
- [Snorting]
- We have no authority
to ban singing in our country.
Then ban the public meetings.
And we want 2,000 more tons
of barley.
This is impossible. You will bring
famine down on the people of Tibet.
More food. The best land
for your soldiers to camp.
The People's Liberation Army
pays for all food and lodging.
So far, they do.
But the quantity does not exist.
You'll have
to reevaluate your needs.
How much tea do you drink,
Prime Minister?
It depends on the quality,
and that it be Indian.
I am instructed to tell you today
that plans for the Tibetan Army...
to be absorbed into the People's
Liberation Army have been finalized...
- I will not approve it.
- Then, we will begin by replacing...
the Tibetan flag
with the flag of the motherland.
And we will begin
with tearing it down.
[Announcer Over P.A.,
In Chinese]
## [Chinese Choir Singing]
## [Continues, Faint]
- I am so sorry.
- [Lukhangwa] It must be done.
We can no longer meet
with the Chinese. They refuse us.
I accept your resignations.
Have you chosen
your new prime ministers, Holiness?
There will be
no new prime ministers.
## [Continues]
They have taken away
our silence.
## [Ends]
[Lord Chamberlain]
Britain, Nepal, America, India...
All of those governments have refused
to meet with our representatives.
[Dalai Lama]
And the United Nations?
The United Nations
voted not to hear our appeal.
So, we must face China
and her might all alone?
I'm afraid so. We have
no choice but to negotiate.
The Chinese must come to Lhasa.
Times are desperate, Phala.
We can go to Peking.
## [Chinese Choir Singing]
[Plane Engine Revving]
## [Fades, Ends]
## [Fades, Ends]
## [Children's Choir
Singing In Chinese]
## [Continues]
- [Window Shutting]
- ## [Muted]
[Bicycle Bells Ringing]
## [Continues]
[Man] The news of the People's
Liberation Army's march into Tibet...
was enthusiastically supported
by all sections of the population.
In particular, Tibetans
in all parts of China...
jubilantly celebrated
the news...
and demanded their return
to the motherland.
The mission of China
is to bring progress to Tibet.
We welcome you, Tibet,
back to the motherland.
It is too early
to implement all the clauses
of the Seventeen Point Agreement.
[Coughing]
The pace of reform
must meet...
with the desires
of the Tibetan people.
Changes must be made slowly,
as you, yourself,
judge necessary.
Tibet is a great land,
a wonderful history.
Long ago, you even conquered
a part of China.
But now, you have fallen behind,
and we want to help you.
In 20 years time,
you could be ahead of us.
And then, it will be your turn
to help China.
You know, my mother
was a Buddhist.
I have a great respect
for your Lord Buddha.
He was anti-caste,
anti-corruption, anti-exploitation.
For some,
politics and religion...
can mix.
Please, have some sweet.
Made in my home province.
The kind my mother used to make.
[Dalai Lama] I have great hopes
for a mutual cooperation.
He has made important promises.
You know, his family were Buddhist.
They were farming people.
I think socialism and Buddhism
have some things in common.
She will be fine,
Your Holiness.
The climate does not
agree with her.
He has made
important promises.
As you say.
I hope you will not feel badly about all
the things of childhood you missed.
You lost so much.
I am sorry.
Good-bye, Kundun.
Good-bye, Kundun.
Good-bye, Kundun.
No, Norbu. Don't die.
No, none of you. Don't die.
[Man] In passing, a few words
about our nation's minorities.
The people of the whole country
are pleased that the minority
nationalities...
and the Han people are united.
But, we must combat
Han chauvinism.
Don't get the idea that it is
the Han nationality that...
has been primarily helping
the minority nationality.
The minority have given
the Han people great help.
Their every participation
in the community of the Chi...
- [Water Running]
- [Man Continues, Indistinct]
Dalai Lama, excuse me.
Chairman Mao Tse-tung
has sent for you.
Dalai Lama.
Thank you for coming so late.
I leave tomorrow.
Yes, I know.
How has your stay been?
Very interesting.
Your factories are very impressive.
- And I enjoyed the agri...
- You have a lot to learn.
How to draw out people's opinions
and make decisions.
Instruct your young Tibetans,
when I make contact with you,
I want to reach you through
a Tibetan, not a Chinese.
Very good. I agree
with some of your ideas.
For years, we have been reforming
our monasteries and reorganizing...
Your attitude is good, you know.
I understand you well.
But you need to learn this:
Religion is poison.
Poison.
Like a poison,
it weakens the race.
Like a drug,
it retards the mind...
of people and society.
"The opiate of the people."
Tibet has been poisoned
by religion,
and your people
are poisoned and inferior.
Let me walk you
to your car.
[Coughing]
We cannot persuade you
to stay in Peking?
I must return.
Take care of your health.
Write me often.
Welcome to your old home,
Your Holiness.
[Bird Crowing]
[Sniffling]
Are you happy?
I am very happy
and prosperous...
under the Chinese
Communist Party...
and Chairman Mao Tse-tung.
[Crying, Sniffling]
[Plane Engine Buzzing]
[Indistinct Shouting]
- [Gunshots]
- [People Screaming]
I admire them so.
They face a modern, equipped army,
and still they fight.
I have always asked
for just plain information.
The Chinese have bombed
the monastery of Lithang.
It has been destroyed.
They throw rocks from airplanes.
Nuns and monks are made
to fornicate in the streets.
They put their guns in the hands
of our Khamba children...
and force the child
to kill the parent.
- [Crying]
- [Soldier] Die!
- [Gunshots]
- [Screams]
[Gasping]
[Sniffling]
I'll write to Mao again.
He doesn't answer
your letters, Kundun.
Nonviolence means cooperation
when it is possible...
and resistance
when it is not.
You have tried cooperation.
Your resistance must come
from outside Tibet, Kundun.
[Sniffling]
[Gasping]
We will be moving Chinese families
into Tibet territory.
Farmers... 40,000.
A revolt has broken out
in the East.
We have decided that
the Tibetan army must be used
against the Khamba guerrillas.
General Tan,
our people would never...
You do not understand
our people.
I will not approve that.
You have bombed
on peaceful people.
- It is my job to deal
with reactionaries.
- No, we are peace-loving people.
We are here to heal
the people of Tibet.
You need reform.
We are here to liberate you.
No, Buddha is our physician,
General Tan. He will heal us.
Wisdom and compassion
will set us free.
You cannot liberate me,
General Tan.
I can only liberate myself.
[Swords Crashing]
[Crowd Cheering]
You are in grave danger. The Dalai Lama
cannot fall into Chinese hands.
- Our only hope is to fight.
- We cannot.
If they kill you,
they kill Tibet.
You must flee.
[Shouting]
[Crowd Shouting]
"General Tan Kuan San wishes to invite
the Dalai Lama to a dance recital...
at the newly erected Great Hall
of the Liberation Army."
- A dance?
- Yes.
"And because of the climate
in Lhasa, General Tan requests...
that the Dalai Lama come
without his bodyguards."
"One attendant is fine," it says.
They would like to provide him.
Yes, I'm sure they would.
It's no time to anger
the Chinese, Phala.
There are tanks in the streets.
Airplanes wait outside Lhasa.
I think we can safely say the Chinese
are already angry, Holiness.
What would you do,
my friend?
- [Sighs] I am only a bug, Holiness.
- [Chuckles]
Holiness,
I would think of what survival
for Tibet really means...
in the years to come.
I would consider my duty
to protect my people.
And so,
I would leave now...
for India.
But I won't do that.
So, write them. Say I am sorry
to miss their dance.
Another time, maybe.
Tell them to write me often.
I know it's a lie.
But times are bad.
As you say.
You know, Kundun,
I would never have
let you go alone.
Don't ask me
to leave Tibet, Phala.
I won't ask you today, Holiness.
[Creaking]
[All Chanting]
[Chanting Continues]
[Chanting Stops]
[Woman]
You must go. You must go.
[Man #1] Please don't go.
Please don't go. Please.
- [Man #2] I beg you to leave, please.
- [All Pleading]
Your Holiness...
[Crying]
[Pleading,
Mumbling In Tibetan]
[Crying]
[Pleading In Tibetan]
[Hissing]
[Grunting,
Hissing]
[Gasping]
[Hissing Continues]
[Whimpering]
"Where there is no crossing
a big river, no fords, no shallows,
[Mumbling In Tibetan]
Where the only hope is a boat,
and there is no boat,
[Continues]
I will put a boat, Kundun.
The Wish-fulfilling Jewel
will shine from the West."
- [All Shouting, Indistinct]
- [Man] Long live His Holiness!
- Long live His Holiness!
- Long live His Holiness!
- We have a letter. May I?
- [Dalai Lama] Please.
"If the Dalai Lama
and a few trusted officers...
can stay within the inner wall
and inform General Tan...
exactly which building
you will occupy,
we certainly intend that
this building not be damaged."
They're going to bomb us.
- Apparently.
- Well, we want no mistakes.
He adds as a postscript:
"The Chinese have taken the strictest
measure to prevent your escape."
Tell them I will be here
with my people. Right here.
[Shouting Continues]
[Men, Women Chanting]
[Lord Chamberlain,
Speaking Tibetan]
How is it outside today?
- [Counselor]
It's a sea of frightened faces.
- Hmm.
- There is a rumor
that His Holiness is gone.
- Hmm.
The supply trucks coming
from the Potala...
- Could we fill them with guns?
- Yes, we could.
Khesan, I want you
to call the tailor in.
Have him make you
a soldier's uniform.
Make it look old and worn,
and do it quickly, please.
[Bells Ringing]
[Hissing]
[Grunts]
"Go. Tonight.
Go."
Holiness, the Oracle's route takes us
right past the Chinese encampment.
- We cannot possibly...
- Shh.
- [Explosion]
- [Yelling, Indistinct]
- I'll fight them.
I'll get a gun and fight them.
- I am so confused.
I'm told we have to make a journey,
but no one tells me when or where.
I will go if you are going.
Just go ahead.
The saddest thing is,
we were about to change.
We were going
to do it alone.
We were just about
to do it alone.
- I'll go to war.
- The Dalai Lama
does not believe in war.
## [Horns, Percussion,
Faint]
[Monks Chanting]
Dim the lights.
We have a long journey
to make, Pompo.
We do not know how it will end,
and it is very sad.
But I would not consider
going without you.
Holiness, the Chinese
have moved their camp.
The Oracle's route is safe
for us now. We must go.
- Yes.
- Sanctuary has been arranged in India.
- They're expecting you.
- Thank you.
I see a safe journey.
I see a safe return.
Now I am ready.
[Dalai Lama] "I rejoice
in the Awakening of the Buddhas.
And also, in the spiritual levels
of their Sons.
And also, in the spiritual levels
of their Sons.
With folded hands, I beseech
the Buddhas of all directions...
to shine the lamp of Dharma for all
bewildered in the gloom of misery."
[People Chattering, Shouting]
- Move aside. Let us through.
- Tour of inspection. Move aside.
Move aside.
Move aside. Move aside.
Tour of inspection.
- Move aside. Move aside.
- Move aside.
Let us through. Move aside.
Let us through.
We have time.
We have time. Move aside.
Let us through.
Move aside.
- [Men Chanting]
- Move aside.
Move aside!
[Chanting Continues]
[Bumping Noise]
## [Choir Vocalizing]
[Dalai Lama] With folded hands,
I beseech all the Buddhas...
who wish to pass away,
to please remain for countless aeons...
and not to leave
the world in darkness.
[Men Murmuring, Indistinct]
My foes will become nothing.
My friends will become nothing.
I, too, will become nothing.
Likewise, all will become...
nothing.
"Right will win.
Wrong will lose."
[Dalai Lama]
Just like a dream experience,
whatever things I enjoy
will become a memory.
Whatever is past
will not be seen again.
[No Audible Dialogue]
[No Audible Dialogue]
I will liberate
those not liberated.
I will release
those not released.
I will relieve
those unrelieved.
And set living beings
in nirvana.
## [Percussion, Horns]
[Counselor] We repudiate
the Seventeen Point Agreement.
We constitute
a temporary government of Tibet,
the only legal authority
in the land.
[All Cheering]
[Dalai Lama] The Buddhas neither wash
ill deeds away with water,
nor remove beings' sufferings
with their hands,
nor transfer their realizations
to others.
Beings are released
through the teachings of the truth.
The final reality.
[Sneezing]
[Dog Barking]
- [Whispering]
- [Laughs]
Shh.
[Lord Chamberlain]
Hurry, Holiness. The Chinese are close.
Hurry, Kundun.
They are close.
[Monks Chanting]
[Ringing]
[Men Chattering]
Kundun, you must walk
to India.
We have won.
Come on.
[Dalai Lama] Thus, by the virtue
that has collected...
through all
that I have done,
may the pain of every living creature
be completely cleared away.
With all respect, sir,
may I ask,
who are you?
What you see before you
is a man, a simple monk.
Are you the Lord Buddha?
I think I am a reflection,
like the moon on water.
When you see me,
and I try to be a good man,
you see yourself.
[Clicks]
[Latches Clicking]
## [Monks Chanting, Low]
## [Ends]