Bob Mackin
News Reporter

MAYBE in the next century — possibly next
decade — Tibet will gain independence from
China.

Maybe the tranquil, mountainous country will even join the
worldwide soccer fraternity and make it to the World Cup.

Tf that happens, thank Khyentse Norbu.

The 38-year-old Tibetan Buddhist lama from Bhutan is bet-
ter known to followers as Dzongsar Jamyang
Khyentse Rinpoche, or simply Rinphoche, “the
precious one”. Buddhist elders declared him at
age seven to be the incarnation of a 19th cen-
tury Buddhist saint. He has since spent much
of his life studying, meditating and imparting
his wisdom around the world. His non-profit,
international Buddhist scet, Siddhartha’s
Intent, is based in Vancouver. It operates the
Sva-to-Sky Retreat Centre near Whistler.

Norbu is a frequent visitor to B.C., but
couldn’t be here this weck when his debut fea-
ture film, The Cup, kicked-off the Vancouver
International Film Festival.

“As a religious person I have my religious
duty here and that’s something I have to give
priority to,” he said in a phone interview from
Bir, India. “Of all the film festivals, I zeally
wanted to be (in Vancouver) now.”

This time last Peal he was filming the come-
dy, 2 true tale of soccer-crazed Tibetan Buddhist monks who
practise the sport on muddy fields and in moaastery courtyards.
Some of the young monks went to great lengths to watch the
World Cup via satellite, eventually persuading the abbot that
bringing the high-tech device into their low-tech world would-
n’t be catastrophic.

“We can preserve the tradition and culture, the values we
have in our modern times and still have harmony between the
traditions, the culture and the modern technology,” Norbu says.

if your growing children are

- skiing or boarding more than
five times a season, you should
be on this program. Why, you
ack? Wati, every time that
they arow out of their
equipment you simply
exhenge it. This program has
been successfully in place since
1982, so we know what we're
talking about.

“All packages include everything
you need. Skis or board, boots,
bindings; and poles.

Present your

Sreuse Rauniala |
Y2PLAY pass and
receive an additional
$20 diszevat, oi any

package
Naw That's sweet!

DIRECTOR Kiyenise
Norbu is a Buddhist lama
with followers in B.C.

photos Arsatla Chow

DURING a break in filming The Cup, Buddhist monks trom the crew and cast of Khyentse
Norbu’s debut feature film played soccer in the courtyard of India’s Chokling monastery.

Norbu, who isn’t a film school grad, had
nwo short films to his credit and served as a
consultant to director Bernardo Bertolucci
during the making of Little Buddha. He finally
fulfilled -his dream a year ago when he com-
bined cinema and soccer to make a film that
shed light on monastery life.

Soccer is popular at monasterics where the
monks, many refugees from Tibet, are allowed
to play. Balls are hard to come by, so monks
will make a ball out of ragged clothes or even
kick around an empty Coke can, just like in the
opening of the Cup, which was filmed at India’s Chokling
monastery.

“I don’t know why the monks iove football, probably some-
thing to do with the British being in India for long time,”
Norbu says. “Maybe because the game itself is simple.”

Two months before the cameras rolled, Norbu made his way
to France to attend the World Cup final.

“People have this idea that monks are almost like 2 golden
statue, they don’r eat, they don’t go to toilet, they don’t blink.

THE Cup’s 13-year-old star Jamyang _Lodro. plays
Orgyen, a monk obsessed with soccer.

The Benefits

# Trained staff ensure that all
gear is correctly sized and
fits the skier's or boarder's
ability.

= We maintain the
equipment; regular
maintenance and unlimited
tune-ups and waxing are
included,

s& You keep the equipment at
home eliminating on-hill
line ups.

Packages Available .
Reguiar Junior Package
$229 tor 2 fui seasons
Regular Youth Package

- 17 Years
$239 for 2 full seasons

Snowboard Packages
From °399 far 2 full seasons