Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Buddhist Analysis

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon affirms both Buddhist and Taoist belief systems. The acting, photography, and soundtrack of this picture all play various roles that serve to unify the movie using these philosophies, as well as taking the audience on a journey down the emotional paths of the characters as they struggle with love in a restraining social order. In terms of Hong Kong's cinema, the film represents a technically innovative style that earned Crouching Tiger significant critical acclaim.

Crouching Tiger'sBuddhist and Taoist roots represent the mainstay of its philosophical content. Buddhist doctrine begins with the diagnosis and cure of humanity's suffering via the Four Noble Truths. The First truth holds that life is suffering, or dukkha. The Second Truth indicates that the cause of that suffering is egoistic desire, or tanha. This being the case, then the Third and Fourth Noble Truths prescribe a solution: desire creates suffering, and following the Eightfold Path means the elimination of both desire and suffering. The Eightfold Path extends the Buddhist teachings into a way of life whereby a person may separate him/herself from the suffering of life and attain an enlightened state, or nirvana. These principles guide the movie in all elements, but especially in terms of its dialogue and character development.