Directed by Jennifer Fox
By Abigail Lewis
It’s one thing for a young man to grow up in the shadow of his father. But it’s quite another when his father is a renowned reincarnate Tibetan spiritual master.
On the day Chögyal Namkhai Norbu was born, flowers grew when there should have been snow, and it was perceived as a sign of his reincarnation. At age five he was taken to a monastery to be taught by Dzogchen lamas, and later escaped Tibet when “the Chinese problem” began. The young teacher found his way to Italy where he married and gave birth to two children, one of whom, Yeshi, was believed to be the reincarnation of Norbu’s uncle Khyentse, who had died in detention in Tibet.
The young Italian-born Yeshi rebelled, and seeing how little traditional fathering he received, it’s understandable that he would seek a “normal” life. So while Norbu struggled to preserve his ancient spiritual tradition, Yeshi fought for a traditional modern life with family and career. There was inevitable conflict.
It’s rare to see a behind-the-scenes glimpse of such a noted spiritual luminary; like all celebrities, 
spiritual teachers maintain a distance, even H. H. The Dalai Lama, who makes guest appearances in this film. Seeing the home life of Norbu’s family, and what is required of a dedicated teacher establishing a community, will give second thoughts to anyone who imagines such a path would be easy. No wonder Yeshi resisted it!
Following Yeshi—now known as Khyentse Yeshi in acknowledgement of his reincarnation—on his path of discovery is particularly inspiring to those who struggle to find balance in their own lives. We may not all be reincarnated lamas, but we all seek our true path. Perhaps Yeshi’s circuitous route through the mainstream world is just what is needed to bring Dzogchen powerfully into the 21st century.
Director Jennifer Fox sensitively tells the story of not only the dynamic between father and son, but between old world and new, and spiritual life versus secular. Dzogchen, of course, contains it all.
My Reincarnation opens in Los Angeles 10/28 at the Laemmle Santa Monica.
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