Samsara

After a three-year meditative retreat (it looks more like hibernation), Buddhist monk Tashi (Ku) rejoins monastery life. But desire stirs in his loins when he espies the beautiful Pema (Chung) during harvest prayers. Next thing he's renounced his vows - not to mention his clothes - and the two of them are rutting like rabbits. After all, Tashi reflects, Buddha himself knew earthly delights before choosing the path of enlightenment. But after being unfaithful to his wife, Tashi feels guilt and decides to return to the ascetic life - only to be confronted by Pema, who has strong feelings about being abandoned to bring up the kids alone. Shot in remote Himalayan locations (actually Ladakh), this plays like a massively extended remake of Conrad Rooks' Siddhartha: phoney spirituality plus softcore sex in a scenic package. No surprise to learn that the Indian director cut his teeth on National Geographic travelogues.