The Dalai Lama's Gift(2025)

The Dalai Lama's Gift Synopsis

In 1981, a Buddhist monk teaching at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, made the bold request of the Dalai Lama to come and perform a rare ritual, never before done outside of India or Tibet: the Kalachakra, among the highest of the Buddhist tantric teachings. In just a few months, with a team of dedicated students, and cameras rolling, they constructed a temple and organized an event for over a thousand spiritual seekers, in a cornfield outside Madison. The incredible footage was tucked away in the Smithsonian vaults, until now. What unfolds is the story of a powerful ritual, its impact on the people that made it happen, and the meaning behind this ancient initiation.

The Dalai Lama's Gift (2025) is a documentary film directed by Ed Bastian, released on February 22, 2025 with a runtime of 1h 16m. It stars Tenzin Gyatso.