Arnaud Desjardins
Encyclopedia
Arnaud Desjardins was a producer at the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française
from 1952 to 1974, and was one of the first high profile practitioners of Eastern religion
in France. He worked on television documentaries with many spiritual traditions unknown to Europeans at the time, including Hinduism
, Tibetan Buddhism
, Zen
, and Sufism
from Afghanistan.
. Educated in a Protestant
Christian
environment, he was exposed to spiritual aspects of Christianity on a visit to a trappist
Catholic
monastery. He then became interested in yoga
, and when asked to direct a film for French television, he chose to make a series of films on India, for which he gained attention for his first film, Ashrams.
He met a spiritual teacher, Swami Prajnanpad, whom he got to know after filming a number of mystics from various traditions. He became a practitioner of Adhyatma yoga, which is a branch of Advaita Vedanta
.
Tibetan Buddhism:
In this two-part documentary, Arnaud Desjardins documents the practices and rites of Tibetans, and meets the Dalai Lama
and spiritual teachers of Tibetan Buddhism
and Tantra.
Zen Buddhism:
Soufism:
Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française
The Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française was the national agency charged, between 1964 and 1974, with providing public radio and television in France.-Post World War II:...
from 1952 to 1974, and was one of the first high profile practitioners of Eastern religion
Eastern religion
This article is about far east and Indian religions. For other eastern religions see: Eastern_world#Eastern_cultureEastern religions refers to religions originating in the Eastern world —India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia —and thus having dissimilarities with Western religions...
in France. He worked on television documentaries with many spiritual traditions unknown to Europeans at the time, including Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
, and Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
from Afghanistan.
Life and work
Arnaud Desjardins was part of the Gurdjieff group, his first contact with mysticismMysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
. Educated in a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
environment, he was exposed to spiritual aspects of Christianity on a visit to a trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
monastery. He then became interested in yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, and when asked to direct a film for French television, he chose to make a series of films on India, for which he gained attention for his first film, Ashrams.
He met a spiritual teacher, Swami Prajnanpad, whom he got to know after filming a number of mystics from various traditions. He became a practitioner of Adhyatma yoga, which is a branch of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
.
Filmography
Hinduism:- Ashrams, 1959
Tibetan Buddhism:
- Le Message des Tibétains: Le Bouddhisme (première partie), 1966 http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&id_notice=CPF86625778
- The Message of the Tibetans: First Part, Buddhism (VHS), Alize Diffusion (1994)
- Le Message des Tibétains: Le Tantrisme (deuxième partie), 1966 http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&id_notice=CPF86625779
- The Message of the Tibetans: Second Part, Tantrism (VHS), Alize Diffusion (1994)
In this two-part documentary, Arnaud Desjardins documents the practices and rites of Tibetans, and meets the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and spiritual teachers of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and Tantra.
- Himalaya, Terre de Sérénité: Le Lac des Yogis (première partie), 1968
- Himalaya, Terre de Sérénité: Les Enfants de la Sagesse (deuxième partie), 1968
Zen Buddhism:
- Zen: Ici et Maintenant (première partie), 1971
- Zen: Partout et Toujours (deuxième partie), 1971
Soufism:
- Soufis D'Afghanistan: Maître et Disciple (première partie), 1974
- Soufis D'Afghanistan: Au Cœur des Confréries (deuxième partie), 1974
Biographies
- Arnaud Desjardins, ou l'Aventure de la Sagesse, Gilles Farcet, Paris, La Table Ronde, 1990
- Arnaud Desjardins, l'Ami Spirituel, Jacques Mousseau, Paris, Perrin, 2002
External links
- Official site
- A DVD series on the teachings of Arnaud Desjardins in English, from the Festival of Newness retreat led in the US, 2007
- Films of Arnaud Desjardins
- To find out more about him and his spiritual masters
- Resources, texts, and quotes about Arnaud Desjardins
- Video extracts and texts of Arnaud Desjardins