Zen—the Japanese form of Buddhism—is the determining element in the Japanese character. It is not a matter of belief in a deity, a conviction that certain acts incur divine punishment and others divine reward; rather, it is a mind-set and a way of life that stresses the most rigorous kinds of discipline and self-abnegation and fosters a single-minded devotion to one’s goal and unquestioning obedience to one’s superior. Following in the path of a student priest, the program shows the physical and mental disciplines the training demands. The camera provides a view of the best of temple architecture, and introduces the acme of Zen culture, the tea ceremony, and flower arrangement. (2 hours)