PETER COYOTE

NARRATION

From Peter's website:
Peter Coyote is:

An Accomplished Actor in over 120 films...
An Emmy Award winning narrator of over 175 documentaries...
A distinguished writer who has penned two memoirs and contributed to other books and publications...
A politically engaged person who has championed a number of causes...
And a guitarist songwriter and singer.

Many many thanks to Peter for his inspiring work on the film. - JZ

PROFESSOR DONALD K. SWEARER

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

Prominent Buddhist scholar and author Swearer is one of the world's experts on
the history and traditions of Buddhism in Southeast Asia including volumes
on sacred mountains in Thailand and image consecration rituals in the Buddhism of
Southeast Asia. He has taught religious studies at Swarthmore College, Harvard Divinity School, The University of Pennsylvania, etc.

PROFESSOR JOHN STRONG

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

John Strong is the author of a number of scholarly works on Buddhism including one on
Buddha relics. A Professor of Buddhist Studies at Bates college, Strong has also been a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard.

PROFESSOR LEWIS LANCASTER

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

IMDb PAGE »

Lewis Lancaster is Emeritus Professor of the Department of East Asian Languages at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Professor Lancaster has published over 55 articles and reviews and has edited or authored numerous books including Prajnaparamita and Related Systems, The Korean Buddhist Canon, Buddhist Scriptures, Early Ch’an in China and Tibet, and Assimilation of Buddhism in Korea. He also founded the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative to use the computer-based technology to map the spread of Buddhism from the remote past to the present

Courtesy of Wikipedia

PROFESSOR SUSAN HUNTINGTON

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

Susan L. Huntington, Ph.D., is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University in Columbus. A specialist in the art of South Asia, her main publications include The Art of Ancient India (with contributions by John C. Huntington), The Pala-Sena Schools of Sculpture, and Leaves From the Bodhi Tree (with John C. Huntington). She is also a
prominent expert on Buddhist relic traditions.

VEN CHAGDUD TULKU Rinpoche

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

Chagdud Tulku rinpoche is surely destined to be remembered as an important figure in the history of Buddhism's transmission to the west, as he established large Buddhist communities of students in both North America at Rigzin Ling in Junction City, California and in South America at Khadro Ling, his main center in Três Coroas, Brazil. Rinpoche has been a true pioneer in bringing the lineages and practices of Tibetan Buddhism to South America with centers established in Brasil, Chile, and Uruguay. He has also been a prolific stupa and temple builder throughout the Buddhist world.

VEN TULKU SANG NGAK Rinpoche

INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT

Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche, an outstanding meditation master and scholar, is a lineage holder of the Namchak lineage and other profound and widely practiced lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche is also widely regarded as a master stupa builder. He has established Turquoise Leaf, a practice center for Tibetan nuns in Nepal. He also has a number of students
in North America with centers in Montana and Santa Fe. www.ewam.org

BRIAN MELVIN

ORIGINAL MUSIC/COMPOSER

IMDb PAGE »

Brian Melvin is an internationally known drummer/percussionist/educator. He has played and recorded with many of the worlds leading musicians. Not limited by styles, he's worked with the late Joe Henderson, Mike Stern, J ohn Scofield, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Bobo Stenson, Toots Thielemans, Richard Bona, Bob Weir ("The Grateful Dead"), Greg Allman ("The Allman Brothers Band") and many more.

One of his main associations has been with the Hall of Fame bassist Jaco Pastorius. They were good friends and made five historic recordings together. One of their most famous was "Standards Zone" (Global Pacific Records,) which was the no. 1 jazz album for 15 weeks. Beatlejazz has been in the top ten on all 4 of their Cd releases as well.

Having lived in New York and Europe, he is no stranger to the international jazz scene. Brian lived and played in New York a few different times, starting in 1987. At that period he was the house drummer at the Blue Note jazz club after hours sessions, along with playing in the Mike Stern trio for two years at the famous 55 bar. It was also during this period where Brian and Dave Kikoski started their long musical and personal friendship, which continues currently in Beatlejazz. In 1998-99 he shared living quarters with Al Foster and played all over New York, and the east coast.

Recently Brian has been involved in many great projects, including Beatlejazz, Fog, and many European projects as well. Also a resident of Tallinn, Estonia, Brian has been teaching workshops and masterclasses all over Europe as well as playing in numerous musical settings. His most recent projects are Modern Times and Drum Prana from Estonia and FOG from San Francisco. He is very active in world music and has been playing tablas and various hand drums along with electric percussion.

Brian provided a completely original score for the Blazing Buddha Relics film which in turn
provided a jumping off point for one of his latest releases Letters from Emptiness.