Similar to how Keanu Reaves's character in Little Buddha is determined to achieve his goal, so are all Buddhists devoted to achieving enlightenment through intense meditation. Buddhists are constantly reminding themselves that life is but a small element in a much longer process, and, that life passes uncontrollably.

Both in Little Buddha and in Wheel of Time, the audiences are presented with the world of Buddhism shown from an outsider's point-of-view. To them, Buddhist monks appear to be mysterious and intriguing in the same time. Furthermore, most people are likely to feel an attraction to Buddhism consequent to viewing both movies. While the general public considers Buddhist monks to be exceptional people, with an incredible dedication for their religion, Buddhists think of themselves as being nothing more than simple people, with goals that are different than the normal ones in society.

While both movies succeed in promoting Buddhism, they also harm the religion along the way. Both Herzog and Bertolucci portray Buddhists as being people of an extreme rarity, and, that Buddhism is something soon to be extinct, with lesser and lesser persons expressing their interest in studying the religion.

In his effort to catch Buddhism on his cameras, Herzog only succeeds in catching a Buddhist ritual, just as Bertolucci only succeeds in presenting a limited rendering of Buddhism. Even with that, both directors manage to show the beauty in Buddhism by the portrayal of the sands of time and of Siddhartha overcoming his demons.

The central core of Buddhism in not the praise of Buddha, as it is actually the journey to illumination. This is proved across the two movies, with the audience learning that...

Siddhartha and Dalai Lama lobby for people to abandon their narrow principles in order to embrace new ones, which involve them trying to lose their interest in material possessions. One has to have an enormous amount of determination in order to reach a state similar to the one achieved by Siddhartha, as the passage to glory is very challenging.
Enlightenment is the main subject in both Little Buddha and Wheels of Time. A large number of Buddhists engage in a pilgrimage to Bhod Gaya, in India, where Buddha had presumably attained enlightenment. Bertolucci's Siddhartha provides people with important information relating to how they should behave in order to attain a higher state of mind.

The journey that Siddhartha undergoes in order to achieve enlightenment is strewn with a great deal of barriers under various forms ranging from demons to bodily temptations. Even with that, the Buddha manages to avoid having to fall victim to the demons and continues his journey until its final phase, when he apparently has to fight himself. Today's society is generally against such concepts, promoting the thought that people need to focus on their lives and on gathering as much material wealth as they can during the process. The Buddhist monks in Herzog's documentary create a beautiful sand painting on Mount Kallash, and, the Dalai Lama destroys the creation once it is completed. This may be a reference to life, and how fragile and short it is, in spite of its apparent greatness.

Works cited:

1. Little Buddha. Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci. Miramax Films, 1994.

2. Wheels of Time. Dir. Werner Herzog. 2003.