Unmistaken Child: A Monk’s Search for His Reincarnated Master

This captivating documentary gives us a look into a culture where
reincarnation is accepted as undeniably real.

Buddhist monk Tenzin Zopa served revered high lama Geshe Lama
Konchog from the time he was 7 years old. The old monk was living in
solitary meditation in the hills above Zopa’s village, and young Zopa
felt drawn to him and decided to serve him, even against the wishes of
his family. They were together for over 20 years.

When the old lama dies at age 84, Zopa is left without a purpose.
But after a time, because of his close relationship with the lama, the
Dalai Lama assigns Zopa the enormous task of locating his master’s
reincarnation. An astrologer is consulted for information about where
to look for the reborn lama, and they use clues from the funeral pyre
(which direction did the smoke go?) to tell them where he might be
found.

The young monk is utterly charming and talks openly about how much
he loved his teacher, the life they spent together, and how happy he
will be to see him again. He is very modest, and the task of finding
the child overwhelms him: Is he the right person to look for him? How
will he know if he finds the right child?

Zopa travels around the rugged and remote Tsum Valley between Nepal
and Tibet, an area seemingly barely touched by the last century,
inquiring about special children in the right age group. He carries
prayer beads and other objects that belonged to his master—with
the idea that the reincarnated lama will be able to recognize the
things from his previous life.

The entire movie is from the outlook of the young monk—there
is no outside commentary, history, or Buddhist theology lessons. The
disciple’s quest is completely engaging, but it brings up questions
about the heartbreak of giving up a young child to a religious life for
the greater good. It is also a fascinating look at a remote part of the
world and the Tibetan Buddhism that survives there.