,transcriber's ,note3 ,the spelling and accents of ,sanskrit names is not consistent in the book4 ,the ,table of ,contents is not part of the original book4 ,,the ,,buddha ,a ,,drama ,,in ,,five ,,acts ,,and ,,four ,,interludes ,,by ,,paul ,,carus ,,chicago ,,the ,,open ,,court ,,publishing ,,co4 ,,london3 #adi ,strand #aiac 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents ,,directions ,,to ,,the ,,stage ,,manager4 ,,cast ,,of ,,characters4 ,,glossary ,,of ,,foreign ,,terms4 ,,act ,i4 ,,act ,,ii4 ,,act ,,iii4 ,,act ,,iv4 ,,act ,v4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,directions ,,to ,,the ,,stage ,,manager4 ,the scenery can be made very attractive by both historical accuracy and a display of ,oriental luxury1 but the drama may easily be performed with simple means at a small cost without losing its dramatic effect4 ,some of the changes1 however1 should be very rapid4 ,the interludes can be replaced by lantern slide pictures1 or may be omitted4 ,if the interludes are retained there need not be any intermission in the whole drama4 ,the music for the ,buddha's ,hymn of ,victory1 pages #e and #ci 7see ,the ,open ,court1 ,,xix1 #di72 the dirge on page #ai1 7,open ,court1 ,,xix1 #efg72 ,yasodhara's ,song1 page #cg 7,open ,court1 ,,xviii1 #fbe72 and the ,doxology1 page #fc and at the end 7,open ,court1 ,,xviii1 #fbg71 may be found in a collection entitled ,buddhist ,hymns 7,chicago1 ,open ,court ,publishing ,co41 #aiaa74 ,,copyright ,,by ,,the ,,open ,,court ,,publishing ,,co4 #aiac 99 99 99 99 99 ,,cast ,,of ,,characters4 ,all vowels to be pronounced as in ,italian4 ,siddhattha ,gotama1 ,prince of the ,sakyas1 later on the ,buddha ,b ,suddhodana1 ,king of the ,sakyas1 father of ,siddhattha ,s ,pajapati1 ,queen of the ,sakyas1 aunt and stepmother of ,siddhattha ,p ,princess ,yasodhara1 ,siddhattha's wife ,y ,rahula1 ,yasodhara's son ,r ,devadatta1 brother of ,yasodhara ,dd ,kala ,udayin1 a gardener's son ,k ,gopa1 ,yasodhara's maid ,g ,visakha1 a ,brahman1 ,prime ,minister of ,suddhodana ,v ,devala1 a ,sakya ,captain ,d ,bimbisara1 ,king of ,magadha ,bb ,ambapali1 ,king ,bimbisara's favorite ,ap ,nagadeva1 ,prime ,minister of ,magadha1 leader of an embassy ,n ,general ,siha1 in the service of ,king ,bimbisara ,,gs ,jeta1 ,prince of ,northern ,kosala ,j ,anatha ,pindika1 a wealthy man of ,savattha ,a ,mara1 the ,evil ,one ,m ,channa1 ,prince ,siddhattha's groom ,ch ,master of ,ceremonies at ,magadha ,mc ,general ,siha's ,captain ,c ,a ,brahman ,priest ,pr ,a ,farmer ,f ,servant ,st ,ministers1 ,officers1 ,soldiers1 ,trumpeters1 ,villagers1 ,a ,shepherd4 ,singers3 ,mara's ,daughters1 ,angels1 ,brahma1 ,vishnu1 ,shiva4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,glossary ,,of ,,foreign ,,terms4 ,buddha1 the ,enlightened ,one1 the ,saviour4 ,bodhi1 enlightenment or wisdom4 ,bodhisatta1 a seeker of the bodhi1 one who endeavors to become a ,buddha4 ,bodhi tree1 the tree under which ,buddha acquires enlightenment4 ,muni1 thinker or sage4 ,sakyamuni1 the ,sage of the ,sakyas1 the ,buddha4 ,tathagata1 a title of ,buddha1 which probably means ,the ,perfect ,one1 or he who has reached completion4 ,nirvana 7in ,pali1 ,nibbana7 eternal bliss4 ,kapilavatthu1 capital of the ,sakyas4 ,kosala1 an ,indian state divided into ,northern and ,southern ,kosala4 ,savatthi1 capital of ,northern ,kosala4 ,jetavana1 the pleasure garden of ,prince ,jeta at ,savatthi4 ,magadha1 a large kingdom in the ,ganges ,valley4 ,rajagaha1 capital of ,magadha4 ,uruvela1 a place near ,benares4 ,arada and ,u'draka1 two philosophers4 ,licchavi1 a princely house of ,vesali4 ,nirgrantha 7lit4 liberated from bonds71 a name adopted by the adherents of the ,jaina sect4 ,indra1 in the time of ,buddha worshiped by the people as the most powerful god4 ,issara1 the ,lord1 a name of ,god ,indra4 ,yama1 the god of death4 ,kali1 a ,brahman goddess1 called also ,durga4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,act ,i4 ,,first ,,scene4 ,a tropical garden in ,kapilavatthu1 in the background mountains1 at a distance the snow-capped peaks of the ,himalayas4 ,on the right near the front a marble bench surrounded with bushes4 ,further back the palace entrance of the ,raja's residence4 ,above the entrance a balcony4 ,on the left a fortified gate with a guard house2 all built luxuriously in antique ,indian style4 ,present3 ,,suddhodana1 the king 7,s72 ,,pajapati1 the queen 7,p71 and the minister of state ,,visakha 7,v74 ,s4 ,my son ,siddhattha truly loves his wife1 ,and since their wedlock has been blessed by this ,sweet1 promising1 this hale and healthy child1 ,his melancholy will give way to joy1 ,and we reclaim his noble energies ,to do good service for our race and state4 ,new int'rests and new duties give new courage ,and thus this babe will prove his father's saviour ,for he will tie his soul to life again4 ,p4 ,i fear his grief lies deeper than you think4 ,s4 ,what sayest thou1 my trusty counselor8 ,v4 ,this is the last hope which ,i have for him1 ,i followed your advice and tried all means ,to cure ,siddhattha of his pensive mood4 ,i taught him all that will appeal to man3 ,the sports of youth1 the joy of poetry ,and art1 the grandeur of our ancient lore1 ,the pleasures e'en of wanton sense2 but naught ,would satisfy the yearnings of his heart4 ,s4 ,yet for religion he shows interest3 ,he ponders on the problems of the world4 ,v4 ,indeed he ponders on life's meaning much1 ,investigates the origin of things ,but irreligious are his ways of thought4 ,he shows no reverence for ,issara1 ,and ,indra is to him a fairy tale4 ,he grudgeth to the gods a sacrifice ,and sheddeth tears at immolated lambs4 ,oh no6 he's not religious4 ,if he were1 ,his ills could easily be cured by faith1 ,by confidence in ,issara1 the ,lord4 ,s4 ,what then is your opinion of the case8 ,v4 ,siddhattha is a youth of rarest worth1 ,and he surpasseth men in every virtue ,except in one4--,he is too independent3 ,he recognizeth no authority1 ,neither of men nor gods4 ,he suffereth ,more and more impressively ,from the incurable disease of thought4 ,s4 ,cure thought with thought1 teach him philosophy1 ,show him the purpose of our holy writ4 ,instruct him in the meaning of the ,vedas1 ,reveal to him their esoteric sense4 ,v4 ,my lord1 ,i did1 but he is critical1 ,he makes objections and will not believe4 ,he raises questions which ,i cannot answer1 ,and his conclusions are most dangerous4 ,p4 ,it seems to me that you exaggerate2 ,siddhattha is not dangerous4 ,he is ,as gentle as my sister was1 his mother1 ,and almost overkind to every one4 ,v4 ,i know1 my gracious lady1 but e'en kindness ,may harmful be1 if it is out of place4 ,s4 ,i see no danger in his gentle nature4 ,v4 ,but he lacks strength1 decision1 warlike spirit4 ,s4 ,that cometh with maturer years4 ,v4 ,i doubt it3 ,your son1 my ,lord1 not only hath no faith ,in holy writ1 neither does he believe ,in caste-distinction1 and he would upset ,the sanctioned order of our institutions4 ,he would abolish sacrifice and holdeth ,the ,brahman ritual in deep contempt4 ,s4 ,your words alarm me4 ,v4 ,rightly so2 ,i fear ,that he will stir the people to rebellion2 ,but since a child is born to him1 his mind ,may turn from dreams to practical affairs4 ,there are some men who care not for themselves1 ,who scorn high caste1 position1 wealth and honor1 ,so far as they themselves may be concerned1 ,but they are anxious for their children's fortune1 ,and so ,siddhattha soon may change his views4 ,s4 ,let us be patient for a while yet longer4 ,keep everything unpleasant out of sight1 ,invite him merry company4 ,remove ,his gloomy cousin ,devadatta4 ,he tries ,to reach a state of bliss by fasts1 ,his very play is penance and contrition4 ,p4 ,ananda is a better boon companion1 ,he is not so morose as ,devadatta4 ,s4 ,neither is he the right friend for my son4 ,i grant he has a loving disposition1 ,but he is pensive too4 ,surround ,siddhattha ,with lads such as the gardner's jolly son1 ,kala ,udayin4 ,like a lark he warbles6 ,would there were more like him4 ,he jokes and laughs ,and never makes a sullen face4 ,but tell me ,how is to-day ,kala ,udayin's father8 ,v4 ,his sickness turns from bad to worse4 ,i fear ,he cannot live4 ,s4 with concern ,have him removed from here2 ,siddhattha likes him much and if he knew ,udayin's sorry fate1 it might undo ,all good effects of joyful fatherhood4 ,v4 ,the best will be to move him in the night4 ,s4 ,move him by night1 and do it soon4--,but hush1 ,yasodhara is coming with her babe4 ,,yasodhara 7,y7 and two attendant maids1 one carries an umbrella1 shading the ,princess2 the other1 ,,gopa 7,g71 carries the infant4 ,p4 meets her and kisses her4 ,welcome1 thou sweetest flower of our garden1 ,thou ray of sunshine in ,siddhattha's life4 ,s4 ,my dearest daughter6 how is ,rahula8 ,y4 ,my royal father1 ,rahula is growing1 ,and he increases daily in his weight2 ,to-day he smiled at me most cunningly4 ,i'll lay him down1 for he is fast asleep4 ,all enter the palace4 ,the stage remains empty a moment4 ,soft1 serious music 7,buddha's ,hymn of ,victory7 is heard4 ,,second ,,scene4 ,,siddhattha 7,b7 and ,,kala ,,udayin 7,k7 enter4 ,k4 ,my sweet ,prince1 when you are king you must appoint me court jester4 ,will you1 my good ,lord8 ,we two are good contrasts3 ,you full of dignity upon a royal throne1 a golden crown upon your head1 the scepter in your hand1 and ,i dressed in motley with cap and bells4 ,heigh ho6 ,that will be jolly4 ,and after all we are so much alike6 ,b4 ,a royal crown shall never grace my head4 ,k4 ,and why should it not1 sweet ,prince8 ,b4 ,i have a higher aim1 a greater mission4 ,what is a kingdom8 ,what are wealth and power8 ,what crown and scepter8 ,they are transient things1 ,i yearn for the ,immortal state1 ,nirvana4 ,k4 ,then wilt thou be a ,buddha8 ,oh1 even then will ,i follow thee4 ,he kneels down with clasped hands4 ,wilt thou a holy ,buddha be1 ,o keep me in thy company ,though ,i'm a jester4 ,i'll be good4 ,let me attain beatitude4 ,b4 ,rise ,kala1 rise1 ,i am a mortal man1 ,i'm not omniscient1 nor have ,i yet ,attained the goal of goals1 enlightenment4-- ,tell me1 why dost thou think we are alike8 ,k4 ,my ,lord1 you have no ambition to be a king2 you think the world is full of vanity1 and you consider that life and its glory will pass away4 ,that is exactly what ,i think4 ,i agree with you4 ,only1 you are of a serious disposition and take the matter to heart1 while ,i think it is great fun4 ,what is the use of thinking so much4 ,we are all like bubbles3 we float in the air1 and then the bubble bursts and this life is over4 ,i am now a poor boy4 ,i fear no change4 ,in a future incarnation ,i may be born as the son of a king1 like you4 ,and think of it1 after a few million years1 this whole world1 this big bulky stupid institution1 this home of so many villains1 and a couple of good ones like us two among them1 the theater of rascalities1 of vanities1 of follies1 will be scattered to the winds1 as if it had never existed4 ,be merry1 my ,prince1 so long as the comedy lasts4 ,,devadatta 7,dd47 appears in the background4 ,his cheeks are sunken and his face is gloomy4 ,his eye has a fanatic expression4 ,b4 ,consider1 it may prove a tragedy4 ,k4 ,let it be what it may be4 ,to me it will be what ,i think it is4 ,it is a huge joke4 ,b4 ,but who will laugh at it1 my friend8 ,k4 ,i will4 ,b4 ,kala1 the time will come when thou wilt weep4 ,k4 ,well then8 ,and if ,i weep ,i shall shed tears4 ,tears are a sweet relief ,in anguish pain and grief4 ,i'll make the best of all1 ,whatever may befall4 ,b4 ,thy prattle seemeth foolish1 but it hideth ,a deep philosophy4 ,k4 ,why then1 good ,lord1 ,why wilt thou not its merry lesson learn8 ,b4 ,good ,kala listen1 and thou'lt understand3 ,there is a difference between our aims3 ,thou clingest to this world of transiency1 ,but ,i seek the ,etern4 ,thou seest not ,the misery of life1 for thou art happy-- ,happy at least at present1 though the next ,moment may find thee writhing in lament4 ,i seek a place of refuge whence ,i can ,extend my hand to help those in distress4 ,i will attain the state of ,buddhahood ,to bring deliverance to all mankind4 ,dd4 ,why do you waste your time1 ,siddhattha1 with this frivolous lad8 ,what profit can there be in gossip such as you two carry on8 ,k4 ,you always scold1 you hollow-eyed sour face6 ,you always moralize4 ,even your good brother-in-law is too worldly for you4 ,dd4 ,i did not speak to you1 ,i addressed myself to ,siddhattha4 ,b4 ,udayin has a heart1 a human heart1 ,and all my sympathy goes out to him4 ,dd4 ,if you intend to lead a religious life and go into homelessness1 you had better devote yourself to fasts and contemplations4 ,k4 ,you do not talk to me1 but ,i will talk to you1 and ,i will tell you that in all your religious exercises you think of yourself1 while ,siddhattha thinks of others4 ,i wish you would go into homelessness4 ,nobody would miss you here4 ,addressing himself to ,,siddhattha4 ,but1 good my ,lord1 you must not go into homelessness1 because you will do more harm than good4 ,b4 ,how can that be1 my good ,kala ,udayin8 ,k4 ,there comes your noble wife1 ,yasodhara4 ,,yasodhara comes1 her maids with umbrellas keep at a respectful distance4 ,y4 ,come see our boy1 he is a lovely child2 ,he just woke up4 ,he maketh you forget1 ,the sad thoughts of your heart on world and life1 ,for he1 the darling babe1 is life himself4 ,,kala flirts with ,,gopa1 one of ,,yasodhara',s maids4 ,b4 ,i'll follow thee at once4 ,y4 ,addressing ,devadatta ,and brother1 will you come along8 ,dd4 ,not ,i4 ,this child is but the beginning of new misery4 ,it continues the old error in the eternal round on the wheel of life4 ,she goes into the house4 ,,devadatta withdraws into the garden4 ,b4 ,now ,kala speak4 ,k4 ,o ,prince ,siddhattha1 do not go into homelessness1 do not leave us4 ,i cannot live without you4 ,you are my comfort1 my teacher1 my guide4 ,i do not follow your instructions1 but ,i love to hear them4 ,oh ,i could not live without you4 ,do not go1 sweet ,prince4 ,think of your wife1 your dear good lovely wife1 it will break her heart4 ,think of your child4 ,do not go1 noble ,prince4 ,let somebody else become the saviour of the world4 ,somebody else can just as well become the deliverer and the ,buddha4 ,i am sure there are many who would like to fill that place1 and somebody can do it who has a less comfortable home to leave1 who has a less lovely wife1 who is not heir to a kingdom1 and who has not such a sweet promising little boy as you have4 ,i cannot live without you4 ,b4 ,wouldst thou go with me8 ,k4 kneels ,yes my ,lord1 ,i would4 ,take me along and ,i will cheer you up4 ,b4 ,wouldst thou go begging food from house to house8 ,with bowl in hand1 a homeless mendicant8 ,k4 ,no sir1 that would not suit me4 ,b4 ,wouldst thou by night sleep under forest trees8 ,k4 ,no sir1 ,i would catch cold4 ,that's not for me4 ,rises ,if you needs must go1 sir1 you had better go alone4 ,that life is not for me4 ,i will go and hear the nightingale4 ,,siddhattha follows the ,princess into the palace4 ,k4 ,a ,buddha's life ,is not for every one4 ,he has no wife ,no pleasure and no fun4 ,he cannot laugh1 ,he cannot cry2 ,he cannot love ,he cannot sigh4 ,he's always preaching1 preaching4 ,he's always teaching1 teaching4 ,he wonders at time's transiency ,and ponders on man's misery1 ,and findeth his salvation ,in dreary resignation4 ,that life ,i see ,is not for me3 ',twould be ill spent2 ,i would not find enlightenment4 ,i lift not the world's woe ,and in my quest for truth would fail ,muses a moment4 ,so ,i had better go ,and listen to the nightingale4 ,,kala ,,udayin exit4 ,during the last scene twilight has gradually set in4 ,,third ,,scene4 ,the scene changes by open curtain4 ,a veil comes down1 and when its goes up again we see the bed chamber of ,siddhattha and ,yasodhara dimly lit by tapers4 ,,yasodhara 7,y7 on the bed with babe in arms1 two maids in waiting4 ,,siddhattha 7,b7 comes in4 ,a halo of light 7not too strong7 surrounds his head4 ,the princess rises1 lays the babe down and advances toward her husband4 ,y4 ,o good my ,lord1 my ,prince1 my ,husband6 ,a pause4 ,she changes her voice as if ashamed of her show of feeling4 ,with a matter-of-fact intonation4 ,rahula fell asleep again4 ,b4 ,why art thou sad1 my good ,yasodhara8 ,i see a tear that glitters in thine eye4 ,y4 ,an unspeakable melancholy steals over my soul when ,i hear you speak of your religious longings4 ,b4 ,wouldest thou not rejoice if ,i fulfilled ,my mission2 if ,i reached the highest goal8 ,y4 ,oh6 ,siddhattha6 you do not love me4 ,b4 ,my heart embraces all the world--and thee4 ,y4 ,if you loved me truly1 there would not be much room for all the world4 ,you think of the world all day long1 and have not a minute's time for your wife4 ,b4 ,i have1 my dear6 ,y4 ,my noble ,husband6 ,b4 ,speak6 ,y4 ,scarcely do ,i dare to call you by that name4 ,you are kind and gentle1 but for a husband you are too lofty1 too distant in your dignity4 ,it may be wrong in me1 it may be sinful1 but ,i wish you were less lofty and more loving4 ,b4 ,my dearest ,wife1 ,i call thee so on purpose-- ,my dearest ,wife1 thou dost not understand3 ,the misery and ills of all the world ,weigh heavy on my heart4 ,i'll find no peace ,until at last a remedy be found4 ,y4 ,why dost thou trouble about others8 ,think of thy son1 thy sweetest ,rahula1 and if thou lovest me a little only1 think of me4 ,b4 ,i think of thee1 my loving ,wife1 but when ,i think of thee ,i think of all--of all ,the loving wives1 the happy trembling mothers ,all over in the world4 ,happy they are1 ,but trembling for their babes4 ,oh6 bear in mind1 ,we all are in the net of sorrow caught4 ,this world is full of pain1 disease and death2 ,and even death brings no relief4 ,because ,the wheel of life rolls on4 ,the ills continue ,in births that constantly repeat themselves4 ,y4 ,oh6 do not speak of it my ,lord1 it makes me sad4 ,why do you think of misery1 while here we are surrounded by wealth and comfort1 and even the prospects of our future are most auspicious4 ,why borrow trouble before it comes8 ,b4 ,my dear ,yasodhara1 change is the law ,of being4 ,now we prosper1 but the wheel ,goes round and brings the high into the dust4 ,y4 ,you suffer from bad dreams2 ,b4 ,listen to me4 ,they sit down4 ,in this luxurious palace and these gardens1 ,surrounding it1 was ,i brought up with care4 ,i saw naught but the fair1 the beautiful1 ,the pleasant side of life4 ,y4 ,i know1 ,siddhattha-- ,i know it very well4 ,b4 ,you know1 my father ,has kept me ignorant of evil things4 ,i might have thought that such is life throughout1 ,but ,i began to doubt and asked for leave ,to see the world outside these palace walls4 ,not without difficulty did ,i gain ,permission1 and with ,channa in a chariot ,i drove away--when suddenly before me ,i saw a sight ,i'd never seen before4 ,there was a man with wrinkled face1 bleared eyes1 ,and stooping gait1 a sight most pitiable4 ,,yasodhara is much moved4 ,while ,i was horror-struck1 ,channa passed by ,indifferent1 for he had seen such men4 ,too well he knew the common fate of all2 ,but ,i1 the first time in my life1 did learn ,that1 if we but live long enough1 we all ,shall be such miserable wretched dotards4 ,y4 ,too sudden came this saddening truth to you4 ,b4 ,channa sped on his horses out of town1 ,but there again6 what an ungainly sight6 ,a man lay on the road-side1 weak and helpless1 ,with trembling frame and feverish cramps4 ,i shut mine eyes to so much racking pain1 ,still ,i could hear his groaning and his moaning4 ,oh1 ,channa1 said ,i to the charioteer3 ,why does this happen8 ,how deserves this man ,the wretchedness of his great agonies8 ,how do ,i know8 said ,channa1 for we all ,are subject to distemper and disease4 ,sometimes the best are stricken--and must die6 ,must die8 cried ,i1 ,what does that word portend8 ,for1 you must know1 ,i never heard of death4 ,my father had forbidden1 at his court ,to speak to me of anything unpleasant4 ,yea1 die6 said ,channa1 ,look around and see6 ,along the road a funeral procession ,moved slowly1 solemnly and mournfully ,and on the bier a corpse1 stark1 stiff and cold4 ,y4 ,do not be troubled1 death is still far off4 ,b4 ,oh do not feel secure1 for the three evils ,surround us constantly and everywhere1 ,and even now death hovers o'er our house4 ,when ,i was born my mother went to heaven1 ,which means1 she died when she gave life to me4 ,y4 ,my ,lord don't think of evils that are past4 ,b4 ,the world's impermanence is still the same1 ,and all material things are conformations ,subject to pain1 decay and dissolution4 ,yet unconcerned in blessed carelessness ,man hunteth after pleasure4 ,transiency ,has set its mark on life1 and there is none ,who can escape its curse4 ,there is no mortal ,who's always happy4 ,misery surprises ,the luckiest with unexpected terror4 ,then1 in addition1 unseen powers breed ,most heinous maladies and fever heat4 ,e'en if we were exceptions1 thou must grant ,that finally we too will meet our doom4 ,the ghastly specter ,death1 the stern king ,yama1 ,awaiteth all of us4 ,such is our fate6 ,y4 ,o put away these gloomy thoughts1 and think ,of life and love1 and of thy lovely child4 ,b4 ,could we be truly happy while the world ,is filled with misery8 ,mine eyes are opened2 ,i see how death his gruesome revel holds4 ,he owns the world and sways its destinies4 ,one creature ruthlessly preys on the other1 ,and man1 the cleverest1 preys on them all4 ,nor is he free1 for man preys upon man6 ,nowhere is peace1 and everywhere is war2 ,life's mighty problem must be solved at last4-- ,i have a mission to fulfil4 ,y4 ,and me ,wouldst sacrifice for a philosophy1 ,for the idea of an idle quest6 ,b4 ',tis not for me to ask whether my quest ,be vain3 for me 'tis to obey the call4 ,y4 with passionate outburst ,siddhattha1 ,o my ,lord1 my husband1 what wilt thou do8 ,dost thou forget the promise made me on our wedding day8 ,b4 ,yasodhara1 a higher duty calls4 ,the time will come1 and it is close at hand1 ,when ,i shall wander into homelessness4 ,i'll leave this palace and its splendid gardens ,i'll leave the pleasures of this world behind ,to go in quest of ,truth1 of saving ,truth4 ,,yasodhara sinks on her knees before him and clasps his knees4 ,y4 ,and me1 my ,lord1 thy quest will make a widow6 ,oh1 stay1 and build thee here a happy home4 ,b4 ,my dear ,yasodhara1 it cannot be4 ,the ,prince stands lost in thought4 ,rahula is restless4 ,,yasodhara rises and turns toward the child4 ,y4 ,he wakes again4 ,i come1 my babe1 ,i come4 ,the veil comes down again1 and when it rises it shows the garden before the palace as in the first scene1 but it is night and all is wrapped in darkness4 ,,fourth ,,scene4 ,king ,,suddhodana 7,s7 and his minister ,,visakha 7,v7 come out of the entrance4 ,later on ,captain ,,devala 7,d7 and soldiers4 ,s4 ,unfortunate1 most unfortunate1 that ,udayin died4 ,siddhattha will miss the gardener and will ask for him4 ,v4 ,the ,prince loves flowers1 and he knows them all by name2 he loves trees and shrubs1 and praises them for yielding fruit and grain for feeding us without the need of shedding blood4 ,s4 ,have the body removed so long as it is dark4 ,v4 ,the moon is full to-day and must rise in a little while4 ,s4 ,double the guards at the gate4 ,i am afraid my son will flee4 ,it would be a disgrace on my house to have him become a mendicant4 ,the kings of ,kosala1 of ,magadha1 and all the others look with envy on our sturdy people2 they dislike our free institutions and our warlike spirit4 ,they would scoff at us if a ,sakya prince had become a monk4 ,but if ,siddhattha does flee1 ,i swear by ,lord ,indra that ,i shall disown him2 ,i will no longer recognize him as my son4 ,i will disinherit him and make ,rahula my heir apparent4 ,,visakha looks at ,,suddhodana in amazement4 ,s4 ,i am serious and ,i will do it4 ,i swore an oath1 and ,issara will help me to keep it4 ,now go to the captain of the guards and do as ,i bid you4 ,exit4 ,the ,minister alone4 ,v4 ,oh6 ,what a chance for me6 ,siddhattha will flee1 if he be not prevented2 he will be disinherited4 ,rahula is a babe1 and it will take twenty years before he grows up to manhood4--,he muses4 ,i may proceed on different lines1 and one of them must certainly lead to success4 ,i may marry the ,princess and become the stepfather of the heir apparent1 his guardian1 the man who has him in his power--,hm6 ,hm6 ,i need not plan too far ahead4 ,and if that plan did not work1 the ,king of ,magadha would make me raja of the ,sakyas1 if ,i would recognize him as my liege4 ,the full moon rises and the scene becomes gradually brighter4 ,,visakha knocks at the gate4 ,who is on guard8 ,officer comes out4 ,d4 ,i am1 my ,lord1 'tis ,captain ,devala4 ,v4 ',tis well4 ,king ,suddhodana requests you to double your guard to-night1 for he has reasons4 ,further he wants you to remove the corpse of ,udayin1 the gardener who died to-day of an infectious disease4 ,be on your guard1 for where a dead body lies there are ghosts--and in a half whisper when you see demons or gods1 keep yourselves1 you and your men1 locked up in the guard house1 and the spook will pass without harm4 ,d4 ,your order shall be punctiliously obeyed4 ,pays his military salute and returns to the guard house4 ,v4 ,that settles the guard1 and should ,siddhattha flee he will find no obstacle4 ,two men come out of the guard house and enter the palace with a bier4 ,,kala ,,udayin comes back from the garden4 ,,visakha retires into the background4 ,k4 ,the nightingale is a sweet bird1 but ,i like the lark better4 ,the nightingale is more artistic1 but his song is melancholy1 he is so sentimental6 ,the lark has a mere twitter like my own song1 ,i like the lark better4 ,how beautiful is this summer night2 ,how glorious is the moon2 how fragrant are the roses in the garden6 ,it is a most auspicious night1 and all breathes happiness4 ,,visakha from his hiding place watches ,,kala4 ,v4 ,he comes in time1 his presence will prosper my plans4 ,kala is lost in thought4 ,music1 from ,beethoven's ,seventh ,symphony1 somber and as if coming from a distance1 is heard4 ,k4 while the music plays ,what a strange presentiment is stealing over my soul4 ,perhaps ,i was too happy6 ,what does ,siddhattha say8 ,all conformations always are transient1,a ,harrassed by sorrow1 lacking a self4 ,footnote ,a3 ,the quoted lines run in the same rhythm as the melody and should be pronounced accordingly4 ,see ,buddhist ,hymns1 p4 #bb4 ,the men come with the corpse on the bier4 ,,kala stops them4 ,k4 ,what do you carry8 ,who is this8 he shrieks ,my father6 ,the carriers set the corpse down and ,kala sinks down by the bier4 ,oh1 my father6 my dearest father6 ,how did you die8 ,why did you leave me8 ,oh1 my father6 he sobs4 ,the moon sinks behind a cloud4 ,,siddhattha comes4 ,b4 ,what may the trouble be8 ,i heard a shriek4 ,,kala raises himself half way up4 ,the scene is bright again4 ,k4 ,oh1 my ,prince6 ,see here6 ,my father is dead6 ,now ,i know the truth as well as you4 ,now ,i feel the pain4 ,the time has come for me to lament4 ,i was so happy and ,i would not believe you4--,oh ye who are happy1 think in the hour of happiness that all is subject to suffering1 and the hour of suffering will come to you too4 ,nay more than that1 the hour of death will come2 it has come to my father1 it will come to you and to me1 and then my caroling will stop forever4 ,oh1 my poor father6 ,b4 ,how rarely is thy advent welcome1 ,death1 ,e'en this poor gardener who a servant was ,his livelong days1 leaves in our hearts a gap4 ,his son lamenteth him1 and ,i not less2 ,he was my loving friend2 my educator1 ,he had me on his knees so many a time1 ,to tell me how the flowers will grow and blow1 ,and how they prosper after rainy days4 ,may gentle lilies from thy ashes spring1 ,decked with the purity of thine own heart1 ,and with their fragrance give the same delight ,that in thy present life thou gavest us4 ,the carriers lift up the body and carry it out4 ,oh1 fare thee well1 thou good and worthy friend1 ,oh1 fare thee well1 but thy departure is ,to me a token that my time has come4 ,turning to ,,kala who all the while was lying prostrate weeping4 ,weep not1 companion of my childhood days1 ,but bear in mind the courage of thy mirth4 ,remember all the virtues of thy father ,and let them live again in thine own heart4 ,thou must not yield to weakness and lamenting1 ,tend to life's duties3 ,go and call me ,channa1 ,bid him to saddle ,kanthaka1 my steed1 ,and let him ready be for a night's ride4 ,,kala exit4 ,,siddhattha alone4 ,the hour has come6 and now my last farewell ,to thee my wife and ,rahula my son4 ,,siddhattha makes a few steps and halts4 ,this is the greatest sacrifice ,i bring3 ,i leave behind a crown without regret2 ,i leave the luxury of wealth and power2 ,i care for them as though they were but ashes ,but ,i must also leave my wife and child3 ,here ,i must prove the courage of my heart4 ,enters the house4 ,,fifth ,,scene4 ,the veil of clouds comes down1 and when it rises we see ,yasodhara's bedroom again4 ,,siddhattha 7,b7 enters4 ,,yasodhara 7,y7 sleeps with the babe in her arms4 ,b4 ,here lie the rarest treasures of this life1 ,my noble wife1 my dear boy ,rahula4 ,,siddhattha approaches the bed4 ,your sleep is sweet in your sweet innocence1 ,and ,i will not disturb your blissful rest4 ,i will go out in search for saving ,truth ,and shall not come again unless 't be found ,farewell my wife and ,rahula my son4 ,must ,i be gone8 ,is this1 in sooth1 my duty8 ,he goes toward the door4 ,there he stops4 ,perchance on their account ,i ought to stay4 ,but no6 my father can take care of them4 ,it is my tender heart that makes me weak4 ,this is the greatest sacrifice ,i bring4 ,,sixth ,,scene ,change of scene1 as rapid as before4 ,the garden before the palace ,,channa 7,ch47 enters with a horse4 ,channa4 ,my ,prince1 here is your steed6 ,,mara 7,m71 a superhuman figure1 gaudily dressed1 hovering in the air1 suddenly appears and addresses ,,siddhattha 7,b74 ,m4 ,it is a shame to leave your wife and child4 ,b4 ,addressing the vision in the air4 ,mara1 thou here8 thou wicked one1 thou tempter6 ,k4 ,oh do not leave us ,prince4 ,think of the wrong you do4 ,you wrong your royal father1 you wrong your wife1 you wrong your child4 ,b4 ,what sayest thou8 ,thou sayest ,i do wrong8 ,the same rebuke is echoed in my heart2 ,it is so sweet1 so loving1 so alluring6 ,and shall ,i listen to its tender voice8 ,how pleasant would it be to stay at home1 ,and to enjoy my wife's love and my child's6 ,is that my duty8 ,say1 is that my duty8 ,k4 ,surely my ,lord1 your duties lie at home4 ,,siddhattha wavers as if in doubt4 ,he stands pondering for a moment4 ,b4 ,who will instruct me where my duty lies8 ,m4 ,i will instruct thee1 ,i will guide thee right4 ,k4 ,how can you doubt1 my ,prince8 ,and can you not ,search for the truth here in this pleasant garden8 ,there're spots enough where you can think and ponder1 ,and meditate among the fragrant flowers4 ,b4 ,here ,i shall never reach my goal4 ,k4 ,stay here4 ,a kingdom is your sure inheritance1 ,while ,buddahood is but a doubtful prize4 ,b4 ,and shall the world wait for another ,buddha8 ,so many millions clamor for the truth6 ,with determination4 ,i hear the call and naught shall hold me back4 ,i see my duty and ,i will obey4 ,m4 ,wilt thou not stay1 my noble ,prince ,siddhattha8 ,the wheel of empire turns1 and thee ,i shall ,make king of kings to rule the whole broad earth4 ,think of the good which thou wilt do as king6 ,and then as king of kings thy mighty power ,will spread the good religion o'er the world4 ,b4 ,i know thee ,mara1 tempter1 ,evil ,one1 ,prince of this world1 ,i know thy voice1 thy meaning4 ,the gifts thou offerest are transient treasures1 ,and thy dominion is mere vanity4 ,i go to found a kingdom in the realm ,of the immortal state which lasts for aye4 ,thou hinderest and dost not help the truth4 ,k4 ,thou speakest to the empty air1 my ,prince1 ,for ,i see no one whom thou thus addressest4 ,,channa helps ,,siddhattha to mount1 and while the gate opens leads the horse out of the gate1 and ,,kala enters into the palace4 ,,visakha is coming to the front4 ,v4 ,he is gone4 ,he has made room for me4 ,the time will come when this kingdom will be mine4 ,y4 from the balcony ,siddhattha6 ,siddhattha6 ,where are you8 ,he is gone6 ,he has departed into homelessness6 ,she faints4 ,,curtain ,,first ,,interlude4 ,living pictures accompanied by appropriate music1 as an introduction to ,act ,,ii4 #a4 ,,begging ,,food4 ,a scene of the ,prince's life as a mendicant friar4 ,a ,hindu village1 ,siddhattha stands bowl in hand before a hut2 a woman dishes some rice from a kettle into his bowl2 villagers1 including children1 stand around gazing at him1--a few with clasped hands4 #b4 ,,the ,,king ,,greets ,,the ,,mendicant4 ,tradition tells that ,king ,bimbisara1 hearing of the noble monk1 went out to see him and offered him to take part in the government4 ,this being refused1 the ,king requested him to visit ,rajagaha1 the royal residence1 as soon as ,siddhattha had become a ,buddha4 ,siddhattha is seated under a tree near a brook2 the king stands before him1 surrounded by his retinue4 #c ,,preaching ,,to ,,the ,,villagers4 ,under the tree in the market place of a ,hindu village ,the ,buddha is seated in the attitude of a preacher4 ,the villagers stand or squat around intently listening4 #d4 ,,saved ,,from ,,starvation ,in company with other monks1 ,siddhattha sought for a while enlightenment by self-mortification4 ,being exhausted by severe fasts1 the mendicant faints1 and ,nanda1 the shepherd's daughter1 passing by1 refreshes him with rice milk4 ,his five disciples at a distance fear that he has given up his quest for truth4 ,,act ,,ii4 ,,first ,,scene ,seven years have elapsed since the first act4 ,a room in the royal palace at ,magadha ,present3 ,,nagadeva 7,n71 the prime minister1 ,,general ,,siha 7,,gs71 commander-in-chief of the ,magadha forces4 ,later on the ,,master ,,of ,,ceremonies 7,,mc71 ,,king ,,bimbisara 7,bb471 a trumpeter and a small body guard4 ,n4 ,it is a joy to serve this mighty king ,whose power extendeth over many lands4 ,in peace he ruleth wisely1 and his subjects ,obey him willingly for he is just4 ,in war he swoops upon his enemies ,as doth a hawk upon a helpless chicken1 ,quick in attack1 lucky in every fight4 ,indeed he earned his name deservedly1 ,the warlike ,bimbisara4 ,,gs4 ,at his side ,i fought with him in many a doubtful battle ,with all the odds against us1 but his daring1 ,joined to a rare instinctive foresight ,by which he could anticipate all dangers1 ,would win the day and ne'er was he defeated6 ,in this our latest war he took great risks1 ,might have been taken by his foes1 and would ,have lost his liberty1 his throne1 his life2 ,but venturing much he won1 and by exposing ,his own high person in the brunt of battle ,he stirred the courage of his followers ,to do great deeds of valor4 ,,master ,,of ,,ceremonies enters with a trumpeter4 ,,mc4 ,noble lords1 ,mis majesty1 our royal lord1 is coming ,to meet you here in private council4 ,trumpeter blows a signal4 ,,gs4 ,hail the victorious1 warlike ,bimbisara6 ,both kneel as the king enters preceded and followed by a small body guard4 ,bb4 ,be greeted noble lords4 ,n4 ,we wish you joy and the continuance of your good fortune4 ,bb4 ,i have a matter to bespeak with you1 ,far-reaching weighty plans of great importance4 ,i wish to be alone with you4 ,turning to the captain of his body guards4 ,captain1 have this room guarded by your soldiers4 ,the gong shall call you when ,i need your service4 ,the soldiers march out of the room4 ,be seated1 my good lords4 ,you helped me gain a wondrous victory ,which proves ,i have the favor of the gods4 ,i probed your skill1 your courage and your faith ,and found you both most able and most trusty4 ,therefore you are to me much more than vassals ,and servants of the state2 you are my helpers1 ,indeed my friends and nearest to my heart4 ,a king needs friends who share his secret thoughts1 ,who stand by him in all vicissitudes1 ,who bear with him responsibilities1 ,and above all1 who frankly speak the truth4 ,i ask you1 will you be such friends to me8 ,,gs4 ,i will with all my heart4 ,n4 ,and ,i not less4 ,bb4 ,i1 my dear friends1 ,i promise you in turn ,that ,i shall not resent your words of truth ,if spoken in good faith with best intentions4 ,i may not always follow your advice1 ,but you are free to say whate'er you please1 ,whate'er you may deem best for me to know1 ,whate'er will benefit the empire and my people4 ,now listen what ,i have to say to you4 ,i will reveal to you my inmost heart3 ,this is an age of greatest expectations2 ,riches accumulate in our cities1 ,commerce and trade are flourishing1 and ,our caravans exchange our native goods ,for gold and precious produce from abroad4 ,what ,india needs is unity of rule4 ,the valley of the holy ,ganges should ,be governed by one king1 a king of kings4 ,there should no longer be a rivalry1 ,a clash of interests between the states1 ,and all the princes should obey the rule ,of the one man who guides and guards the whole4 ,this therefore is my plan3 you ,nagadeva ,must gain the favor of our neighbor kings1 ,so as to make them recognize our sway4 ,if voluntarily they will submit1 ,they shall be welcome as our worthy vassals4 ,if they resist 7turning to ,siha7 my gallant general ,you must reduce them to subjection4 ,a treaty with the rajas in the east1 ,in southern and in northern ,kosala1 ,speedeth my plans1 the ,sakyas only ,defy our sovereign will1 and keep aloof4 ,if they yield not1 their power must be broken6 ,there is a task for you and for my army4 ,n4 ,permit1 my noble king1 that ,i advise you4 ,i know the ,sakya minister of state1 ,and he is willing to betray his master4 ,the ,sakya prince1 the only son and heir1 ,siddhattha ,gotama he's called by name1 ,went into homelessness and has turned monk1 ,leaving behind his wife and a small son4 ,the minister aspireth to the throne1 ,and if we help him in his plans1 he will ,acknowledge you as sovereign over him4 ,and that will save your army blood and trouble4 ,bb4 ,what is his name4 ,n4 ,visakha1 noble ,king4 ,bb4 ,i wish to see him4 ,let him visit you ,and as by accident ,i want to meet him4 ,,gs4 ,allow me1 mighty ,king1 a word of warning4 ,bb4 ,speak freely4 ,,gs4 ,with unconcealed indignation1 almost entreatingly4 ,do not listen to a traitor4 ,send me with all the army of the kingdom1 ,bid me lead captive all the ,sakyas2 do it ,in open fight but not by treachery4 ,my ,king1 avoid alliance with ,visakha1 ,his very breath contaminates4 ,he lowers ,ourselves to his low level4 ,bb4 ,thank you ,siha4 ,i will be slow4 ,pondering ,but it is too important6 ,argues with himself4 ,may ,i not listen to a traitor's words1 ,nor hear him1--profit by his information8 ,,gs4 ,oh do it not6 ,bb4 ,siha1 thou art a soldier4 ,i honor thee1 thou speakest like a soldier1 ,but think how much diplomacy will help1 ,how many lives and property it saves4 ,without the brutal means of war it will ,better accomplish all our ends2 it spares ,the enemy as well4 ,a prosperous country ,will serve me better than a city sacked ,and villages destroyed by fire4 ,,gs4 ,pardon1 my liege1 ,i do not trust a traitor4 ,bb4 ,i will be on my guard1 but ,i shall see him1 ',t shall be by way of reconnoitering4 ,you in the meantime keep the army ready1 ,for one way or another ,i must conquer ,the ,sakya king and make him do my bidding4 ,the ,king rises indicating that his two counselors are dismissed4 ,they rise also4 ,the world is growing wider every day ,and our souls broaden with the general progress4 ,a new era dawns upon us4 ,let us all ,help to mature the fruitage of the times4 ,,second ,,scene ,the garden before the palace of ,king ,,suddhodana as in ,act ,i ,presents ,,yasodhara 7,y7 with her maid ,,gopa 7,g7 and ,,rahula 7,r74 ,y4 ,repeat that verse once more and then we will stop our lesson4 ,r4 ,with goodness meet an evil deed1 ,with loving kindness conquer wrath1 ,with generosity quench greed1 ,and lies by walking on truth's path4 ,y4 ,now you can run about in the garden or play with the ,captain's son4 ,r4 ,mother1 ,i do not believe that goodness always works in this life4 ,y4 ,why do you think so8 ,r4 ,because there are very bad boys1 so bad that only a whipping will cure them4 ,y4 ,rahula6 ,r4 ,truly1 mother1 truly4 ,even the gardener says so4 ,y4 ,you must set the bad boys a good example4 ,r4 ,no use1 mother2 they remain bad4 ,i have tried it4 ,y4 ,you must have patience4 ,r4 ,no use1 mother2 and the gardener says1 ,a viper remains a viper4 ,y4 ,even poisonous reptiles can be tamed4 ,r4 ,yes1 but the gardener first pulls their fangs4 ,would you like me to play with a viper8 ,y4 ,no1 my boy4 ,excitement at the gate4 ,,kala enters and soldiers of the guard surround him4 ,r4 ,what is going on8--,o ,mother6 ,kala ,udayin is back6 ,,kala ,,udayin 7,k7 appears among the guards4 ,,rahula runs to the gate4 ,r4 ,kala6 ,welcome home6 ,shake hands6 ,k4 ,be heartily greeted1 my boy4 ,r4 ,did you see father8 ,k4 ,i did1 ,rahula4 ,r4 ,tell me all4 ,k4 ,i will tell mother4 ,r4 ,come to mother4 ,she has been expecting you for many days4 ,,kala kneels to the ,princess4 ,y4 ,gopa1 take his bundle4 ,the maid takes his bundle and carries it into the house4 ,what news do you bring of ,prince ,siddhattha8 ,k4 ,i followed the ,prince from place to place and saw him last near ,benares in the forest of ,uruvela4 ,y4 ,how is his health1 and will he come back8 ,k4 ,his health is probably good1 but he does not think of coming back--not yet4 ,o my dear lady6 ,if you could see him6 he is as thin as a skeleton4 ,i could count all his ribs4 ,r4 ,what is the trouble with father4 ,k4 ,he is fasting4 ,he lives on a hempcorn a day2 think of it1 one little hempcorn a day6 ,y4 ,oh1 he will die6 ,my poor husband4 ,i must follow him and attend to his wants4 ,he needs his wife's loving care4 ,i will leave my home and follow him4 ,k4 ,could you help him1 princess8 ,he might not like it1 and the monks abhor women4 ,moreover1 ,i was told that he takes food again1 every morning a cup of rice milk4 ,the day ,i left he looked better4 ,still1 he was pretty pale4 ,y4 ,tell me all you know of him4 ,k4 ,i went first to ,rajagaha1 and there ,i heard wondrous tales about the noble monk ,gotama4 ,all the people knew about him1 they called him a sage or muni and the ,bodhisatta4 ,r4 ,what does that mean1 ,kala8 ,k4 ,bodhisatta is the man who seeks the bodhi--and the bodhi is enlightenment or ,buddhahood4 ,y4 ,what did the people of ,rajagaha say8 ,k4 ,when ,prince ,siddhattha came to ,rajagaha1 he created a great excitement in the city4 ,never had been seen a mendicant of such noble appearance1 and crowds flocked to him4 ,they thought he was a ,buddha and greeted him as a ,buddha2 but he said to them ,i am not a ,buddha2 ,i am a ,bodhisatta1 ,i seek ,buddhahood1 and ,i am determined to find it4 ,y4 ,did you meet people who saw him8 ,k4 ,indeed1 ,i did4 ,they say he looked like a god4 ,the news spread all over the capital1 and ,king ,bimbisara himself went out with his ministers to see the ,bodhisatta4 ,king ,bimbisara came to the place where the stranger stayed--under a forest tree near a brook--and greeted him most respectfully saying1 ,great monk1 remain here with me in ,rajagaha2 ,i see that you are wise and worthy4 ,live with me at the royal palace4 ,be my adviser and counselor4 ,you are not made for a mendicant4 ,your hands are fit to hold the reins of empire4 ,stay here1 ,i beg you1 and you shall not lack honor and rank4 ,nay1 replied ,siddhattha1 let me go my way in quest of enlightenment4 ,i am bent on solving the problem of existence1 and ,i will become a ,buddha4 ,said the ,king1 ,hear then1 great monk4 ,go in quest of enlightenment1 and when you have found it come back to ,rajagaha4 ,y4 ,is ,king ,bimbisara so religious8 ,k4 ,king ,bimbisara is ambitious4 ,as is well known1 he is a warrior and a conqueror2 but that is not all4 ,he wants to be the greatest monarch of all ages and he would have all the great events happen under his rule4 ,this is what he said to the ,bodhisatta3 ,when ,i was a youth ,i uttered five wishes1 and they were these3 ,i prayed1 ,may ,i be crowned ,king4 ,this wish has been fulfilled4 ,then ,i wished1 ,may the holy ,buddha1 the ,blessed ,one1 appear on earth while ,i am ,king1 and may he come to my kingdom4 ,this was my second wish1 and while ,i gaze upon you ,i know that it will be fulfilled4 ,further ,i wished1 ,may ,i see the blessed ,buddha and pay my respects to him4 ,this was my third wish4 ,my fourth wish was1 ,may the ,blessed ,one preach the doctrine to me1 and my fifth and greatest wish was this1 ,may ,i understand the doctrine4 ,i beg you1 therefore1 great monk1 when you have become a ,buddha come back and preach the doctrine to me and accept me as your disciple4 ,y4 ,and whither did ,siddhattha go from ,rajagaha8 ,k4 ,he visited the great philosophers ,arada and ,udraka1 but he found no satisfaction in their theories4 ,so he went on to ,uruvela where the ascetics live4 ,i followed the ,bodhisatta and learned that he stayed with five disciples in the forest4 ,i found shelter near by in the cottage of the chief shepherd1 a good old man with a pretty daughter1 ,nanda4 ,there ,i watched ,siddhattha and his disciples from a distance4 ,he was the youngest but the wisest of them1 and they reverenced him as master4 ,he outdid them all in fasting4 ,one day ,nanda1 the shepherd's daughter1 saw him faint1 and he might have died from exhaustion right on the spot if ,nanda had not given him rice milk to drink4 ,y4 ,o good ,kala1 what shall ,i do8 ,what shall ,i do8 ,here ,i sit at home1 a poor1 helpless woman1 unable to assist him or to take care of him6 ,o ,kala1 advise me1 what can ,i do8 ,,king ,,suddhodana 7,s7 and ,,visakha 7,v7 come out of the palace4 ,the ,princess retires into the palace4 ,,gopa hides behind the bushes4 ,s4 ,i am glad to see you back4 ,have you seen my son8 ,k4 ,i have sire4 ,s4 ,where did you find him8 ,k4 ,at ,uruvela1 the place of mortification where saints try to see visions and reach a state of bliss4 ,v4 ,and has ,siddhattha succeeded8 ,k4 ,it does not seem so2 he is starving himself to death4 ,v4 ,is he dying8 ,k4 ,not exactly1 but ,i do not see how he can live--on that diet4 ,s4 ,oh1 ,visakha1 how have ,i been deprived of my son through a whim6 ,both return into the palace4 ,,visakha comes back4 ,v4 ,it seems that ,siddhattha is ruining himself4 ,k4 ,at the rate he is going now1 he won't stand it long4 ,he may not live another month4 ,it is pitiable4 ,you should have seen him4 ,that beautiful young man looks like a consumptive in his last stage4 ,i did not dare to tell what ,i thought4 ,the ,princess would not have borne the sad news4 ,v4 ,too bad4 ,it looks pretty hopeless4 ,k4 ,i do not see how the ,prince can survive4 ,v4 ,what is the idea of these fasts8 ,k4 ,these pious recluses believe that the self is imprisoned in the body and that the senses are the prison gates4 ,they want to liberate the soul1 and many of them behold visions1 but ,siddhattha seems to doubt whether the saints of ,uruvela proceed on the right track4 ,indeed he denies the very existence of the self4 ,v4 ,i know he does4 ,his views should be branded as purely human wisdom4 ,as the senses are finger touch1 eye touch1 ear touch1 nose and tongue touch1 so the mind is to him mere thought touch4 ,he claimed that the mind originates through a co-operation of the senses4 ,k4 ,his disciples begin to break away from him4 ,v4 ,that is right4 ,they ought to have done so long ago4 ,i always said that ,siddhattha is an unbeliever4 ,he spurns faith and relies too much on his own observation and reasoning4 ,he will never find enlightenment4 ,he is too negative1 too nihilistic1 and his quest of ,buddhahood will end in a lamentable failure4 ,k4 ,it would be a pity1 sir4 ,he is certainly in earnest to find the truth--the real truth1 not what the priests say nor the ,vedas declare1 but the truth1 provable truth4 ,v4 ,yes that is his fault4 ,when the king speaks with you tell him all1 explain the hopelessness of his situation4 ,the king ought to know the facts4 ,,visakha retires into the palace4 ,k4 ,calls in a low voice ,gopa1 ,gopa6 ,,gopa appears from behind the bush4 ,k4 ,aside ,i knew she would not be far4 ,g4 ,what do you want8 ,k4 ,i want to have a talk with you4 ,g4 ,well8 ,k4 ,let us set our marriage day4 ,g4 ,i do not care to marry you--just yet4 ,k4 ,i want a kiss1 ,gopa4 ,g4 ,you shan't have it6 ,k4 ,i will leave ,kapilavatthu and go back to the ,bodhisatta4 ,g4 ,he will tell you that a youth must not kiss a girl4 ,k4 ,that rule holds only for monks4 ,g4 ,go and turn monk4 ,then it applies to you4 ,k4 ,the world would die out if everybody turned monk4 ,g4 ,first1 you are not everybody1 and secondly1 would it not be a blessing if the whole world would try to be sanctified8 ,k4 ,pshaw6 ,mankind consists of different castes and professions1 of soldiers and merchants1 of peasants and artisans and teachers4 ,mankind is like a body with various limbs1 a head and hands1 feet and chest and neck4 ,a man who were head only could not live1 and if mankind consisted of ,buddhas only we would starve4 ,we need a ,buddha1 but there must also be householders4 ,now quick give me a kiss4 ,she pouts4 ,k4 ,if you do not kiss me ,i shall go back to the forest of ,uruvela4 ,nanda1 the shepherd's daughter1 is a very pretty girl4 ,she is as pretty as you are4 ,she is1--well1 her cheeks are rosier than yours4 ,she is a little taller1 and she is so graceful when she milks the kine4 ,the shepherd needs a helper4 ,i am sure he would like to have a son-in-law4 ,,rahula enters4 ,r4 ,gopa6 ,mother wants you4 ,g4 ,kisses ,k4 quickly ,here is a kiss1 but you must forget ,nanda4 ,runs away4 ,k4 ,stay a moment longer6 ,g4 ,i have no time4 ,exit4 ,k4 ,i knew she would come around1--and she is much prettier than ,nanda4 ,nanda is a buxom country lass1 a pleasant girl1 but ,gopa is as proper as a princess4 ,he continues with unction4 ,bodhisatta longs for the blessed state of ,nirvana1 and when he has found it1 he will be calm and without passion4 ,he will walk on earth as a god among men4 ,no emotion will disturb the peace of his mind1 and the happiness of the great ,brahma will be as nothing in comparison to the infinite bliss of his ,buddhahood4 ,with a lighter tone3 ,i adore him1 but ,i do not envy him4 ,i do not long for the happiness of a god4 ,i am a man with human faults and human yearnings4 ,i am satisfied with the happiness and the sufferings of a man4 ,since ,i am assured of ,gopa's love1 ,i care not for ,nirvana4 ,i think that this world is good enough for me4 ,v4 ,looks around like a spy4 ,how peaceful lies this palace1 yet ,i see ,the war clouds lour upon its roofs4 ,the storm will break with sudden vehemence upon ,these harmless unsuspecting people4 ,woe to them1 ,their doom is certain4 ,desperate resistance ,succumbs before the overwhelming forces ,of ,bimbisara4--,and what will become ,of poor ,yasodhara8--,i like her well4 ,i might still save her from her people's ruin4 ,a princess1 sweet and noble1 and herself ,descended from an ancient royal house4 ,but ,i hate that little youngster ,rahula4 ,whate'er betide1 my deep-laid schemes will speed ,and ,i shall profit by my master's doom4 ,music3 ,chopin's ,nocturno4 ,opus #cg1 ,no4 #b4 ,,curtain ,,third ,,scene4 ,darkness covers the scene4 ,distant thunder and lightning4 ,gradually it grows light again and the scene of ,,yasodhara',s bedroom becomes visible4 ,all luxury has been removed2 she sleeps on a mat on the floor1 ,,rahula in bed4 ,r4 ,mother6 ,mother6 ,y4 ,sleep my boy1 it is almost midnight4 ,r4 ,take me up1 ,mother4 ,,yasodhara picks ,,rahula up4 ,r4 ,why do you sleep on the floor1 ,mother8 ,y4 ,because father does so4 ,let me lay you down on your couch1 you must sleep4 ,r4 ,tell me more of father4 ,y4 ,i will to-morrow4 ,r4 ,tell me now4 ,is father a king8 ,y4 ,no1 my son4 ,but he is going to found a kingdom4 ,r4 ,will he be king of it8 ,y4 ,i do not know1 my boy1 but his kingdom will not be like other kingdoms4 ,it will be the kingdom of truth--a spiritual kingdom1 a kingdom of righteousness4 ,r4 ,is father rich8 ,y4 ,he scorns riches4 ,r4 ,why does he8 ,y4 ,he seeks other riches1 the riches of religion1 of the mind1 of spirit4 ,r4 ,did he find them8 ,y4 ,i believe he did4 ,r4 ,he sends you news through ,kala ,udayin4 ,y4 ,no1 ,rahula1 ,i send ,kala ,udayin out to watch him and when ,kala comes back he tells me what he saw and heard4 ,kala does not speak to father4 ,r4 ,why does ,kala not speak to father8 ,y4 ,grandfather forbade him4 ,when we sent out ,devadatta and ,ananda1 they became attached to the life of a hermit4 ,they joined father and did not come back2 but ,kala will not turn monk4 ,r4 ,but this time he will speak to father4 ,y4 ,how do you know8 ,r4 ,i heard grandfather bid him to4 ,y4 ,what did he bid him8 ,r4 ,he bade ,kala that he should tell father to visit us4 ,she can scarcely conceal her joy4 ,y4 ,you heard grandfather say so8 ,r4 ,i did1 mother2 grandfather said that he became old1 and before he died he wanted to see his son again4 ,y4 ,why6 did he really say so8 ,r4 ,he did4 ,y4 ,oh you darling son1 then you will see him1 too4 ,r4 ,people say that he will be a ,buddha4 ,y4 ,yes1 my son1 some say he will be a ,buddha and others doubt it4 ,r4 ,mother1 what is a ,buddha8 ,y4 ,a ,buddha is a man who has found the truth4 ,r4 ,how does a man find the truth8 ,y4 ,by enlightenment4 ,he must find out the cause of evil4 ,r4 ,why must he find out the cause of evil8 ,y4 ,he teaches the people how to avoid evil4 ,r4 ,has father found the cause of evil8 ,y4 ,kala ,udayin says he has4 ,r4 ,what is the cause of evil8 ,y4 ,father says that selfishness is the cause of evil and selfishness comes from the belief in self4 ,r4 ,self8 ,y4 ,yes1 self6 ,man1 as a rule1 believes that he is a self4 ,r4 ,what8 ,a self8 ,y4 ,yes1 a being by himself1 who lives only for himself1 and the thought of self makes him selfish2 and selfishness begets all evils4 ,r4 with a childlike serious conviction ,i believe it1 mother4 ,y4 ,father says there is no self1 that self is an illusion4 ,r4 ,what does that mean8 ,y4 ,it means that we are not separate beings4 ,i think a thought and speak it out and you hear it4 ,i believe in that thought and so do you4 ,whose is it then1 yours or mine8 ,r4 ,it belongs to both4 ,y4 ,but where does the thought come from8 ,if it is true it belongs to the truth1 and it was true before ,i thought it4 ,r4 ,yes1 mother4 ,y4 ,and if it was wrong1 it is evil1 and it was evil before we thought it4 ,r4 ,yes1 mother4 ,y4 ,and so are all our thoughts1 but almost everybody assumes that his self thinks these thoughts and invents them2 and that is an illusion4 ,r4 ,i see4 ,y4 to herself ,his eyes close4 ,he is tired4 ,,to ,,rahula ,now go to sleep again1 ,rahula1 and dream of your father4 ,i will sing you one of father's songs4 ,,yasodhara lays ,,rahula down in the high bed and sings3 ,by ourselves is evil done1 ,by ourselves we pain endure4 ,by ourselves we cease from wrong1 ,by ourselves become we pure4 ,no one saves us but ourselves1 ,no one can and no one may4 ,we ourselves must walk the path1 ,buddhas merely teach the way4 ,the boy sleeps4 ,then ,,yasodhara herself lies down on the mat on the floor4 ,above her appears the vision of her dream4 ,under the ,bodhi tree in a forest landscape ,,siddhattha sits4 ,he is surrounded by a halo of light4 ,,mara approaches to tempt him4 ,m4 ,thou art ahungered1 worthy ,sakyamuni1 ,ahungered art thou from continued fasts1 ,and thou wilt starve unless thou take and eat4 ,i bring delicious food1 take1 eat and live4 ,b4 ,i shall not eat until my quest be done4 ,much better 'tis to die in glorious battle ,than flee and lead a coward's life1 defeated4 ,i shall not eat1 ,o ,mara1 take thee hence4 ,m4 ,wilt thou not listen to my good advice8 ,b4 ,the tempter always calls his councils good1 ,but pleasures which he promises are evil4 ,m4 ,i will not suffer thee to stay1 ,siddhattha1 ,and shall disturb thy daring quest of truth4 ,i'll split the ,bodhi tree by lightning ,and frighten thee away with rumbling thunder4 ,all is wrapped in darkness1 except ,,siddhattha and the ,bohdi tree4 ,thunder and lightning4 ,after a while the noise abates4 ,it grows light again4 ,,mara',s daughters appear4 ,m4 ,go forth my daughters1 tempt the holy man1 ,and lure him from the seat of ,buddahood4 ,three graceful women1 ,,mara',s daughters1 sing in a low enticing voice4 ,melody3 ,the ,mermaids' ,song from ,weber's ,oberon4 ,sweetest on earth 'tis in pleasure to live1 ,love thou must ask for1 and love thou must give4 ,pain we can soothe and assuage every smart1 ,yea1 we will grant thee the wish of thy heart4 ,power bestow we1 enjoyment and mirth1 ,health and wealth also1 and all that has worth4 ,lo1 of life's happiness naught shalt thou miss1 ,satisfied longings are greatest of bliss4 ,while they sing they circle around the ,bodhi tree and pose in graceful attitudes4 ,siddhattha does not mind ,mara's daughters4 ,they withdraw1 and grotesque monsters appear in threatening attitudes1 exhibiting a savage war dance1 always approaching the tree and turning their weapons against the ,sakyamuni1 but as soon as they approach the halo they droop1 unable to hurt him4 ,lotus flowers rain down4 ,sakyamuni raises his right hand4 ,a flash of lightning and a sudden clap of thunder4 ,the spook vanishes in darkness while the ,buddha under the ,bodhi tree alone remains visible in a halo of light4 ,the forest landscape reappears in full light as before4 ,b4 ,the wheel of life turns round through birth and death1 ,its twelve-linked chain of causes takes its start ,in ignorance and ends in suffering4 ,the truth is found1 the fourfold noble truth2 ,all life is sorrow1 sorrow's cause is lust1 ,but from our sorrow we can escape ,if we abandon lust and thought of self4 ,the eightfold noble path of righteousness ,delivers from all evil3 it will bring ,sweet peace of mind and leadeth to ,nirvana4 ,with music accompaniment ,through many births ,i sought in vain ,the builder of this house of pain4 ,now1 builder1 thee ,i plainly see6 ,this is the last abode for me4 ,thy gable's yoke1 thy rafters broke1 ,my heart has peace2 all lust will cease4 ,the following words fit exactly the music of ,haydn's ,chorus with ,soli ,no4 #ac;,b in ,the ,creation1 and the spirit of the composition is very appropriate for this scene ,footnote ,b3 ,peters' ,edition1 pp #dd-ee ,die ,himmel erzahlen1 etc4 ,in a few places where the fugas set in1 the words ,the wicked ,mara's host should read ,the wicked one's1--the wicked ,mara's host1 etc4 ,chorus of ,angels4 ,behold the great muni1 ,his heart unmoved by hatred1 ,the wicked ,mara's host ',gainst him did not prevail4 ,trio of ,,brahma ,,vishnu ,,shiva4 ,victorious ,buddha ,thou art wise and pure1 ,the darkness is gone ,and enlightenment gained4 ,chorus of ,angels as above4 ,proclaim the truth ,to all the world4 ,truth will bring salvation4 ,glory to the truth6 ,chorus of ,angels as above4 ,lotus flowers rain down thicker and thicker1 clouds cover the scene1 but the ,buddha under the ,bodhi tree remains still dimly but sufficiently visible4 ,,yasodhara wakes up4 ,she rises and lights a candle from a rush lamp4 ,she kneels with clasped hands before the vision of the ,,buddha4 ,y4 ,oh ,siddhattha1 my ,lord and ,husband1 no longer my ,husband1 but the ,buddha4 ,in thee ,i take my refuge4 ,in thee and thy word1 ,i believe4 ,thy doctrine shall guide me4 ,accept me as thy faithful disciple1 a disciple of the ,buddha1 my ,lord1 the ,tathagata1 the great thinker1 the ,saviour of mankind4 ,,curtain4 ,,second ,,interlude4 ,living pictures accompanied by appropriate music to introduce the ,third ,act4 #a4 ,,the ,,foundation ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,righteousness4 ,buddha preaches to his five disciples the way of salvation1 which speech1 preserved in a special book1 is frequently compared to ,christ's ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,buddha stands with raised hand1 while five monks stand or sit or squat around him in devout attitude4 #b4 ,,entering ,,the ,,capital4 ,when ,buddha came to ,rajagaha1 the people met him on the way and accompanied him into the city in triumphal procession which is analogous to ,christ's entry into ,jerusalem4 ,the ,buddha with bowl in one hand and staff in the other is followed by yellow-robed monks4 ,the people strew flowers1 carry palm branches and wave kerchiefs4 #c4 ,,the ,,courtesan4 ,ambapali1 the ,buddhist ,mary ,magdalen1 came to ,buddha1 worshiping him and invited him to take his meal at her home4 ,to the astonishment of several moralists1 he accepted and honored the penitent sinner4 ,a beautifully dressed woman with clasped hands kneels before ,buddha1 a maid in attendance behind her4 ,some well dressed people of high caste watch the scene with an expression of indignation4 #d4 ,,the ,,philanthropist4 ,the wealthiest man of ,savatthi invites the ,buddha to his home and offers to build a resthouse for the ,buddha and his brotherhood4 ,anatha ,pindika kneels before the ,buddha1 holding in one hand the picture and plan of a building4 ,buddha indicates by his lowered hand acceptance of the gift4 ,buddha attended by two monks1 ,anatha ,pindika accompanied by the architect4 #e4 ,,prince ,,jeta4 ,it is told that the most beautiful spot in ,savatthi was the royal park of ,prince ,jeta1 which ,anatha ,pindika wanted to buy for the brotherhood of ,buddha4 ,the owner was unwilling to sell and made the exorbitant demand to have the whole ground covered with gold as its price4 ,but ,anatha ,pindika had the gold carried to the garden and paid the price4 ,the scene is laid in the garden4 ,anatha ,pindika with bags of gold stands in commanding attitude4 ,his servants spread the coins while ,prince ,jeta throws up his hands in astonishment4 7,anatha ,pindika is not the real name of the founder of the ,jetavana4 ,the name means1 ,he who gives to the indigent1 alms47 ,,act ,,iii4 ,,first ,,scene ,a ,brahman temple with a statue of ,durga2 before the idol an altar4 ,in the background a landscape with farms and a sheep-fold4 ,enter from the right ,,general ,,siha 7,,gs47 with a ,,captain 7,c7 and some soldiers4 ,,gs4 ,pitch the tents on the slope of yonder hill where that farmhouse stands4 ,c4 ,it shall be done1 my general4 ,,gs4 ,what crowd is gathered there with flags and flowers8 ,c4 ,it is the farmer's family led by the village priest1 and neighbors flock around to swell their number4 ,,gs4 ,the priest handles a big knife that flashes in the sun4 ,i see his hands are stained with gore4 ,they seem to celebrate a feast in honor of a god4 ,c4 ,the villagers inform me that the occasion of it is sad4 ,one of the farmer's children died of late1 and others being sick the father invokes the goddess ,kali to preserve the rest of his family4 ,they are arrayed for a procession and having offered a young sheep at the altar of the homestead they have started out4 ,see how the crowd are wending their way hither to the temple4 ,,general ,,siha looks around and contemplates the scenery1 then turns to the ,,captain4 ,,gs4 ,now pitch the tents before the sun goes down4 ,in the meantime1 the ,,buddha enters with two disciples4 ,they sit down under a tree4 ,the ,captain bows to them reverently and leaves the stage4 ,,gs4 ,greetings to you1 holy monks4 ,b4 ,peace be with thee1 and may thy sword ne'er reek with blood4 ,,gs4 ,i draw the sword for my king1 for my country and for the restoration of order where enemies or rebels have disturbed it4 ,b4 ,thou lookst courageous and thy very words ,possess a ring of simple honesty4 ,,gs4 ,i serve a mighty king who means to do the right4 ,he prefers to establish his rule by treaty and spares an enemy who sues for peace4 ,b4 ,thou speakst of ,bimbisara1 ,king of ,magadha8 ,,gs4 ,indeed ,i speak of the great ,bimbisara1 and he is born to sway the world4 ,my sympathy and my allegiance go with him4 ,i am ,siha1 his general4 ,b4 ,thy name is known throughout the ,indian lands4 ,,gs4 ,when ,i chose my profession ,i prayed to the gods that they would never let it be my lot to fight for any unjust cause4 ,b4 ,let this thy prayer be a sacred vow ,which thou wilt keep inviolate4 ,our fate1 ,or say the gods1 create conditions2 but thou ,thyself must act4 ,thou art responsible1 ,thou shapest thine own life1 and not the gods4 ,,gs4 ,thy words please me6 ,what is thy doctrine1 venerable monk8 ,b4 ,i teach the middle way between extremes4 ,neither mortifications of the body ,nor self-indulgence should be practised4 ,we must make up our minds and walk ,on the eightfold noble path of righteousness4 ,,gs4 ,who art thou1 wondrous monk8 ,thy doctrine is so plain1 and so convincing that ,i grant thou speakest truth4 ,the people ought to know thee and accept thy creed4 ,who art thou8 ,b4 ,born of the ,sakya race1 they call me ,sakyamuni4 ,,gs4 ,blessed be this day on which ,i meet the greatest man of our age4 ,i heard of thee from the ,nirgranthas1 thine own enemies1 the rival sect of thy new order1 and they say that thou deniest the soul1 thou teachest extinction1 thou leadest man to non-existence1 and that ,nirvana is with thee an empty naught--annihilation4--,is that true8 ,b4 ,i teach extinction1 noble general1 ,of hatred1 greed1 and lust1 but ,i insist ,on doing what is right and just and good2 ,on doing resolutely what we do1 ,on searching for the truth1 on setting up ,its lamp and following its holy light4 ,nirvana is attained when passions are ,extinct and when the heart is blessed with peace4 ,,gs4 ,thou art more than a mortal1 holy man4 ,auspicious is this day on which ,i've met thee4 ,the people call thee ,buddha1 perhaps rightly so6 ,a feeling of deep reverence comes over me and the truth dawns on me4 ,truly thou art the teacher of the world4 ,if thy doctrine impressed the people a new era would begin1 an era in which mankind would be wiser and nobler1 happier and better4 ,barbaric music is heard behind the stage1 the drum being prominent4 ,voices behind the stage3 ,maha ,kali6 ,kali ,ma6 ,,gs4 ,behold how wretched are these people in their ignorance4 ,b4 ,they must be taught and they will learn the truth4 ,the procession enters4 ,a small band of musicians comes with primitive instruments1 among them drums4 ,they are followed first by dancers1 then by a priest 7,pr47 flourishing in his bloody hand a large knife4 ,by his side walks a shepherd carrying a lamb4 ,behind them the farmer's 7,f47 family and other people ,,gs4 ,what horrible sounds6 ,and the crowd behave like madmen4 ,pr4 ,maha ,kali6 ,crowd4 ,kali ,ma6 ,pr4 ,goddess of the black countenance6 ,great ,black ,mother6 ,crowd4 ,maha ,kali6 ,kali ,ma6 ,maha ,kali6 ,kali ,ma6 ,maha ,kali6 ,kali ,ma6 ,the priest steps to the altar2 the crowd kneels in a large circle4 ,at the priest's signal the farmer approaches the altar and kneels4 ,his behavior betrays superstitious timidity and great awkwardness4 ,the shepherd exhibits the lamb first to the priest and then to the dancers who in fantastic dancing step advance and retreat while the music plays4 ,finally the lamb is placed on the altar4 ,pr4 ,have ,mercy on us6 ,slay the demon of disease4 ,keep away ,yama the horrible one1 the god of ,death4 ,crowd4 ,kali ,ma1 have mercy on us6 ,pr4 ,thou art ,parvati1 the wife of ,siva4 ,thou hast conquered the giant ,durga1 the evil one1 and now thyself art called the goddess ,durga4 ,thou art ,mahishamardini1 the slayer of ,mahisha4 ,thou art ,kalaratri1 ,nightly ,darkness1 abyss of all mysteries4 ,thou art ,jagaddhatri1 mother of the world4 ,thou art ,jagadgauri1 renowned throughout the world4 ,thou art ,katyayina1 refulgent with a thousand suns4 ,thou art ,singhavahini1 seated on a lion thou wonest victory over ,raktavija1 leader of the giants' army4 ,great ,mother of ,life1 accept our offering1 the blood of this lamb4 ,crowd4 ,maha ,kali1 accept our offering6 ,kali ,ma1 accept our offering6 ,kali ,durga1 great ,goddess1 accept our offering6 ,the priest turns toward the lamb and raises his knife4 ,,buddha steps to the altar and places his hand gently upon the priest's arm4 ,b4 ,hold6 ,pr4 ,meddler6 ,b4 ,pause before thou sheddest blood4 ,pr4 ,how dar'st thou rudely interfere1 strange monk1 ,with our most sacred sacrifice8 ,this lamb ,is offered to the goddess4 ,thou disturbest ,our holy ritual4 ,he lifts his knife against ,,buddha1 but ,,siha draws his sword and knocks the knife out of the priest's hand4 ,,gs4 ,keep peace1 bold priest6 ,pr4 ,the vengeance of the gods will be upon you4 ,b4 ,if there be gods they must be potent1 noble1 ,and great and holy2 and if the gods are holy1 ,they do not need the offering of a victim1 ,they do not want the life of this poor trembling lamb4 ,pr4 ,the gods are kind2 they take the lamb in place of this poor stricken man4 ,we must do penance for his sins1 for the sins of his wife1 for the sins of his children4 ,farmer4 ,i crave forgiveness for the sins for which my dear good child has had to die4 ,pr4 ,his sins are great and nothing can wash them away but blood4 ,b4 ,herein thou errest1 priest4 ,blood does not cleanse4 ,it washes not away the stain of sin2 ,the slaughter of a victim heaps but guilt ,on guilt1 and does not right a wrong4 ,rise1 ,rise1 my good friend4 ,take comfort6 ,the farmer rises4 ,be a man4 ,the others rise gradually4 ,f4 ,what shall ,i do1 good master8 ,b4 ,right all the wrongs thou didst and sin no more4 ,pr4 ,this lamb was given to the goddess4 ,it is mine4 ,,gs4 ,are you the steward of the goddess' property8 ,,siha steps close to the priest who retires step by step and finally hurries off the stage4 ,come1 shepherd1 take the frightened lambkin up ,and bear it to its mother in the fold4 ,the shepherd takes up the lamb and stands ready to carry it away4 ,the musicians slink away4 ,the lambbearers and the people walk off in procession1 followed by the ,buddha with his disciples4 ,general ,siha remains alone on the stage4 ,a trumpet call at a short distance and another one close by4 ,,gs4 ,what does that signal mean8 ,an officer accompanied by a trumpeter enters4 ,a third trumpet call on the stage4 ,the officer delivers a letter4 ,officer4 ,a dispatch from his majesty ,bimbisara to his faithful and most noble general1 ,siha4 ,,gs4 ,breaks the seal and reads to himself4 ,the ,sakyas are a stubborn little nation4 ,their institutions are free2 their laws differ from those of the other surrounding states4 ,these people are a source of discontent and revolution1 and are a sore in my eye4 ,therefore1 the ,sakyas must be crushed1 even if they sue for peace4 ,keep the army near the border and be ready for a sudden attack4 ,with an expression of grief4 ,war is unavoidable and ,i am to be the means by which the ,sakyas will be wiped off the earth4 ,it is my duty1 for the ,king commands it4 ,a soldier should not argue1 he obeys4 ,draws his sword and looks at it4 ,this sword is consecrated to the service of my king4 ,never have ,i drawn it except in honest fight4 ,lost in contemplation4 ,is ,sakyamuni the ,buddha8--,is he truly the ,buddha8 ,buddhas are wise2 ,buddhas are omniscient2 ,buddhas foresee the future4-- ,is ,sakyamuni truly the ,buddha8--,i believe he is4 ,and if he is the ,buddha1 is it right to wage a war against his people8--,what shall ,i do8 ,oh1 ye gods1 teach me my duty6 ,oh1 ye gods1 may it not be my lot to fight for an unrighteous cause6 ,cursed be the sword that sheds innocent blood4 ,,second ,,scene4 ,bimbisara's court at ,rajagaha ,present3 ,,king ,,bimbisara 7,bb471 ,,visakha 7,v71 and ,,nagadeva 7,n74 ,v4 ,the ,sakyas will make a hard fight1 great ,king1 and the war will cost blood4 ,these northern settlers are taller and stronger than other races and possess the courage of the inhabitants of their former frigid homes4 ,it would be easier to take possession of their state if ,i married ,princess ,yasodhara and gradually assumed the government under your protection4 ,your mighty friendship would support me on the throne and you could rule through me4 ,bb4 ,that sounds acceptable1 but in the meantime1 ,i prepare for war4 ,v4 ,even in war ,i shall be of service to you4 ,i can lead your army where it will not meet with resistance1 and ,i know the names of those who are dissatisfied4 ,many could be induced to join your forces2 and ,i can betray the very person of the raja into your hands4 ,bb4 ,nodding kindly to ,,visakha1 then turning to ,,nagadeva4 ,is our kingdom in readiness8 ,n4 ,great ,king1 it is4 ,general ,siha stands in the field with a strong force ready to strike4 ,there are another fifty thousand within call to make a sudden dash upon any of our neighbors should they dare come to the aid of ,sakya4 ,our treasury is well filled1 and the people of ,magadha are prosperous4 ,we could stand even a protracted war far better than any other state in ,india4 ,bb4 ,the time seems favorable2 the risk is small1 and the spoil will be great4 ,convene my generals in the assembly hall4 ,they bow low and pass out4 ,,ambapali 7,ap47 enters4 ,ap4 ,are they gone1 my ,lord1 and what did you decide8 ,bb4 ,i propose to go to war4 ,ap4 ,you are rightly called the ,warlike4 ,bb4 ,i want to round off my kingdom and expand my power northward until it reaches the ,himalayas4 ,ap4 ,the gods will speed you and the blessings of the saints shall be upon your people4 ,servant enters4 ,st4 ,there is a holy man who wants to see your ,highness4 ,his name is ,devadatta4 ,bb4 ,show him in4 ,servant exit4 ,ap4 ,is he not one of the disciples of the ,buddha8 ,bb4 ,i believe he is4 ,,ambapali retires4 ,,devadatta enters4 ,dd4 ,hail1 great ,king6 ,protector of religion and victor of many battles6 ,bb4 ,what brings you to my presence8 ,i always rejoice to see holy men4 ,their coming is auspicious1 and ,i am happy to be of service to them4 ,dd4 ,great ,king1 ,i implore your assistance for the brotherhood which ,i have founded4 ,we need your royal support and the holiness of our lives will surround you as a halo with heavenly protection4 ,bb4 ,are you not a disciple of ,gotama1 who is called the ,buddha8 ,dd4 ,no longer1 mighty ,king1 ,i was his disciple so long as ,i believed in him2 but he is not holy4 ,i have abandoned him4 ,he is not austere2 his disciples do not practise self-mortifications1 and he speaks kindly and dines with sinners4 ,my disciples do not dress in worldly garments2 they would not accept the invitation of women2 they would not touch animal food4 ,he who calls himself the ,buddha is unworthy of that high title2 he is a pretender who has not reached the highest goal4 ,my rules are much more strict than his1 and my brotherhood alone is holy4 ,bb4 ,holiness is a mighty thing4 ,dd4 ,yea1 and our vows will shield your government1 your throne1 your army and your people against any misfortune4 ,bb4 ,i shall send my treasurer to investigate and will do what is right4 ,dd4 ,maharaja1 be assured of my deepest gratitude4 ,bows low1 exit4 ,ap4 re-enters1 excited ,my royal friend1 do not trust that man pointing toward the door where ,,devadatta went out4 ,he is false4 ,he may be holy1 but he is treacherous4 ,he may be virtuous2 he may shun joy and the blessings of life1 he may practise all penances1 he may torture and mortify his body4 ,but there is no true goodwill in him4 ,his holiness is egotistic1 and his religion is hypocrisy4 ,support his brotherhood with money or gifts as you see fit1 but do not believe what he says about the ,buddha4 ,bb4 ,with an inquiring look ,why8 ,ap4 ,i know what he meant when he scoffed at him4 ,when the ,buddha stayed at ,vesali1 ,i invited that noblest of all monks to take his meal with me4 ,i am not holy2 ,i am a worldly woman2 ,i am not a saint2 but ,i have a warm heart1 ,i feel for others and ,i want to do what is right4 ,when ,i heard that the ,buddha stayed in the mango grove1 ,i thought to myself1 ,i will go and see him4 ,if he is truly all-wise1 he will judge my heart and he will judge me in mercy4 ,he will know my needs and will not refuse me4 ,i went to the mango grove and he looked upon me with compassion2 he accepted my invitation in the presence of witnesses1 openly1 fearlessly1 and in kindness4 ,there were the proud ,licchavi princes1 and close to him stood the envious ,devadatta4 ,how they scowled2 how they condemned the great and kindly saint6 ,how they whispered1 ,shame on him6 and ,i saw how they despised me--yet they did not dare to speak out or to censure him publicly4 ,then1 my gracious ,king1 ,i knew that he was truly the ,lord ,buddha1 the ,allwise4 ,bb4 ,my dear friend1 ,i accept every word you say as true4 ,i know the goodness of your heart1 ,i know your worth1 your loving kindness1 and if you were of royal birth you would be worthy to wear a crown4 ,the ,buddha did not demean himself when he honored you4 ,ap4 ,allow me one question4 ,did the ,buddha ever beg you to support his brotherhood8 ,bb4 ,no1 he did not2 but ,i will give him all the assistance he may need4 ,ap4 ,did he ever offer you the support of his vows1 or did he ever praise the efficacy of his holiness8 ,bb4 ,he never did4 ,ap4 ,neither does he stand in need of self-recommendation1 for his very presence is a blessing1 because he spreads goodwill and kindliness1 and the people who hear him are ashamed of doing anything unrighteous4 ,devadatta extends to you the promise1 if you but support his disciples1 of an unconditional protection through his holiness4 ,the ,buddha's protection is not so cheaply earned4 ,i heard him say that every one must protect himself by his own righteousness1 and no prayer1 no sacrifice1 no religious devotion1 nor even penance or fasts could protect a man from the wrongs which he does4 ,bb4 ,the ,buddha's presence would be more auspicious than ten ,devadattas4 ,ap4 ,oh1 most assuredly6 ,and what a contempt ,i have for the virtuous indignation of men who1 overmoral themselves1 judge haughtily of others2 yet1 if you look into their souls you discover that they are heartless and self-seeking villains4 ,bb4 ,your judgment is well grounded4 ,ap4 ,the ,buddha alone possesses greatness1 and the ,buddha does not seek honor1 but the people adore him4 ,bb4 ,rajagaha must become the center of ,india4 ,i will send for the ,buddha and invite him to visit me4 ,his sojourn here will make the kingdom of ,magadha more famous than conquests and victories4 ,the servant enters4 ,st4 ,mighty ,king1 the prime minister ,nagadeva4 ,bb4 ,he is welcome4 ,fare thee well1 sweet heart2 affairs of state call me4 ,n4 ,mighty ,king1 the generals are assembled4 ,they hail thee as their war lord1 and are anxious for laurels1 for glory1 for booty6 ,,trumpets1 ,,curtain4 ,,third ,,interlude4 ,living pictures accompanied by appropriate music4 #a4 ,,sending ,,out ,,the ,,disciples4 ,the ,buddha called his disciples together1 and having ordained them1 bade them spread the ,gospel1 with these words translated from the ,buddhist ,canon3 ,go ye now1 ,o disciples1 and wander forth for the benefit of the many1 for the welfare of mankind1 out of compassion for the world4 ,preach the doctrine which is glorious in the beginning1 glorious in the middle1 and glorious in the end1 in the spirit as well as in the letter4 ,there are beings whose eyes are scarcely covered with dust1 but if the doctrine is not preached to them they cannot attain salvation4 ,proclaim to them a life of holiness4 ,they will understand the doctrine and accept it4 ,the ,pali expression kalyamo dhamma is here translated glorious doctrine4 ,the dictionary defines the first word as excellent1 beautiful1 glorious4 ,this closely corresponds to the ,christian term1 which1 as derived from the ,greek1 reads evangel and in its ,saxon equivalent gospel or good tidings4 #b4 ,,the ,,rich ,,youth4 ,yasa1 the son of a wealthy nobleman of ,benares1 came by night to the ,blessed ,one and exclaimed3 ,what misery6 ,but the ,buddha answered1 ,there is no misery for him who has entered the ,path4 ,yasa1 richly dressed1 with an expression of distress1 before the ,buddha who comforts him4 ,the scene is framed in darkness1 the two figures being lit up by a torch4 #c4 ,a ,,child',s ,,offering4 ,old frescoes in the ,ajanta ,caves show a mother sending a gift through her child4 ,it looks as if they were ,buddhist illustrations of ,christ's injunction1 ,suffer little children to come unto me4 ,,act ,,iv4 ,,first ,,scene ,a room in the ,jetavana4 ,the wheel of the law pictured on one side and the wheel of becoming on the other4 ,otherwise swastikas and lotus flowers serve as ornaments4 ,a large opening exhibits a view into a garden with running water4 ,on the right side there is a platform with low seats1 on the other there is a low table with a divan1 on which ,anatha ,pindika is seated1 looking over palmleaf manuscripts4 ,present3 ,,anatha ,,pindika 7,a72 ,servant 7,st472 ,,prince ,,jeta 7,j72 later on ,,kala ,,udayin 7,k7 and the ,,buddha 7,b74 ,a servant enters4 ,st4 ,his ,highness the ,prince ,jeta4 ,a4 ,show him in4 ,,jeta enters4 ,a4 rises to meet him with bows4 ,you are most welcome1 my ,prince4 ,j4 ,i have come from my brother1 the ,king1 to express to you his thanks for having bought my pleasure grounds for the noble and great purpose of affording a worthy resthouse to the ,buddha and his brotherhood4 ,a4 ,kindly tender my gratitude to your royal brother for his gracious message4 ,j4 ,i hear that ,king ,bimbisara has sent an embassy to the ,buddha to induce him to come back to ,rajagaha4 ,has the ,buddha received these men8 ,a4 ,not yet4 ,he will see them this morning4 ,j4 ,we ought to keep him here4 ,he is a wonderful man1 and ,i consider our city fortunate to have him reside with us4 ,what astonishes me is his way of conquering the hearts of all men1 even of his opponents1 and he is so sensible4 ,a4 ,what do you mean8 ,j4 ,i am not a religious man2 ,i am too worldly1 but him ,i would follow4 ,a4 ,why8 ,j4 ,he is perhaps the only religious reformer who does not go to extremes4 ,he rejects on the one hand austerities1 self-mortifications1 penances1 and severe fasts as useless1 and on the other hand1 he would not allow his followers to indulge in pleasures2 but he insists most sensibly on keeping between the two extremes and proclaims the middle path of leading a righteous life4 ,there is nothing absurd about him4 ,think of ,devadatta4 ,he insists that the monks should dress in rags picked up in cemeteries4 ,the ,buddha appeals to common sense1 and therefore ,i say1 he is a wonderful man4 ,a4 ,he is more than a man2 he is enlightenment incarnate4 ,a stream of blessings goes out from him4 ,j4 ,he has grown into an international power1 and kings do well not to ignore his influence4 ,a4 ,i think so myself1 and ,i am so glad that his influence is always for good1 never for evil1 and his ways are so marvelously gentle4 ,j4 ,indeed that is a blessing4 ,if he were not so absolutely indifferent to his own affairs he might become positively dangerous4 ,his lay disciples count in thousands of thousands4 ,the farmers in the country1 the merchants in the towns1 the lawyers1 the artisans1 and even the soldiers believe in him4 ,lately ,general ,siha became a lay member of the ,buddha's brotherhood1 and many other prominent officers followed his example4 ,a4 ,he would never have gained this influence if he were not truly the ,buddha4 ,j4 ,i want to tell you that a war is threatening1 but please do not speak of it1 it is a deep secret4 ,a spy in the secret service of my royal brother has found out that ,king ,bimbisara intends to fall upon the ,sakyas and deprive them of their independence4 ,the ,brahman ,visakha1 minister of state1 has turned traitor and promises to deliver his country into the hands of ,king ,bimbisara on the condition that he be made ,raja in ,suddhodana's place4 ,a4 ,the country of the ,sakyas is but small1 and their independence will not last long2 it is a mere question of time4 ,j4 ,but consider that the ,buddha hails from ,kapilavatthu4 ,he is the son of ,suddhodana1 the ,sakya raja4 ,a4 ,indeed he is and may ,i be permitted to inform him of the danger that threatens his father's house8 ,j4 ,i give you full liberty1 for he will use discretion and not betray his informant4 ,i deem ,bimbisara's plan dangerous to himself4 ,a war with the ,sakyas may cost ,bimbisara his throne1 for the people of ,rajagaha believe in the ,buddha1 and ,i learn that even now the war rumors have made them restless4 ,servant 7,st47 enters4 ,st4 ,here is a man with the name ,kala ,udayin1 who has a message for the ,blessed ,one4 ,a4 ,show him in4 ,j4 ,i leave you now and hope that you will keep the ,buddha as long as possible in ,savatthi4 ,exit4 ,,kala ,,udayin enters and bows to ,,anatha ,,pindika4 ,a4 ,you want to see the ,blessed ,one8 ,i will call him4 ,,anatha ,,pindika exit4 ,k4 ,alone ,this is the place where ,prince ,siddhattha lives6 ,indeed a most delightful spot and more pleasant than many a royal palace4 ,and how the people speak of him6 ,they call him the ,blessed ,one1 the ,buddha1 the ,tathagata1 the ,sakyamuni1 the great ,sage4 ,the wealthiest man of ,kosala has bought these extensive and most beautiful grounds and presented them to the brotherhood of his disciples1 so that the ,buddha would stay here from time to time1 and that the people of the city would have him for their guest4 ,,buddha accompanied by ,,anatha ,,pindika comes in4 ,he is followed by two disciples4 ,the ,,buddha sits down on the seat on the platform1 having on either hand one of his disciples4 ,,anatha ,,pindika stands below with clasped hands4 ,,kala ,,udayin sinks to his knees with clasped hands4 ,b4 ,my friend1 what brings you here8 ,k4 ,a message from your royal father3 ,he bade me tell you that he is growing old1 and before he dies1 he wants to see his son once more4 ,would you deign to accept his invitation8 ,b4 ,tell me1 my friend1 how is my father8 ,is old age truly telling on him8 ,k4 ,not yet so visibly1 but he worries much4 ,b4 ,and how is ,rahula8 ,he is now seven years old and must be quite a boy4 ,k4 ,he is1 my ,lord2 and how he talks of his father4 ,he knows everything you are doing4 ,b4 ,who tells him8 ,k4 ,his mother does4 ,b4 ,and tell me how the princess fares8 ,k4 ,she imposes upon herself the observances which the mendicant friars keep4 ,she will have no preference over him who once was her husband4 ,she sleeps on the floor1 she does no longer use unguents or perfumes4 ,she wears a simple yellow robe and observes the regulation of the brotherhood in taking food4 ,the ,,buddha nods and with a distant look sits a few moments in silence4 ,b4 ,and she is a good mother8 ,k4 ,there could be no better4 ,st4 announces ,an embassy of the most potent ,king of ,magadha1 the great ,bimbisara4 ,b4 ,addressing himself to the servant ,let them come in1 turning to ,k4 ,kala ,udayin1 bring my father greetings1 and say that ,i shall come4 ,,kala ,,udayin exit4 ,a number of men1 the embassy of ,king ,,bimbisara1 led by ,,nagadeva1 most gorgeously dressed1 file in4 ,they let themselves down on one knee1 clasp their hands and rise again4 ,n4 ,most gracious ,lord1 all-wise and blessed ,buddha1 ,our noble sov'reign bids me tender you ,his most respectful greetings1 and he hopes ,that you return and visit ,rajagaha1 ,for he is very anxious to be honored ,by your auspicious presence in his kingdom4 ,b4 ,my ,lords1 express to your most mighty ,king ,that the ,tathagata can not accept ,this friendly invitation1 for he will ,start for his home1 the country of the ,sakyas1 ,to see his aged father and his kin4 ,if war or other ills befall his people1 ,he wants to live1 if need be1 die with them4 ,n4 ,lord ,buddha1 speak a word of truth to us1 ,for ,i'm aware thou art omniscient4 ,our royal master wants to hear from thee4 ,b4 ,all bodily existence passeth by ,for it is compound and will be dissolved2 ,but there is ,law2 it is the ,uncreate1 ,it is th' ,etern1 which is without beginning ,and without end4 ,that must our refuge be4 ,he who relies on the ,impermanent1 ,and1 being strong1 attempts to crush the weak1 ,will soon break down4 ,this is the law of deeds1 ,for as we sow1 such will our harvest be4 ,rely on ,truth1 the ,uncreate1 th' ,etern1 ,be guided by the rule of ,righteousness4 ,this is my message to the ,king1 your ,lord1 ,and may he be advised to rule his country ,with love of peace1 with goodness1 and with wisdom4 ,my blessing be on him and on his people4 ,they kneel1 clasp their hands1 circumambulate the ,,buddha and file out4 ,,jeta returns in excitement4 ,j4 ,the war is on6 ,king ,bimbisara's army ,is building bridges to attack the ,sakyas4 ,,curtain4 ,trumpet signals1 military music4 ,,fourth ,,interlude4 ,living ,pictures ,accompanied by ,appropriate ,music4 #a4 ,,king ,,bimbisara ,,on ,,the ,,royal ,,elephant4 ,the king is seated under a canopy1 together with his minister and field marshal4 ,on the head of the elephant1 the driver2 and retinue on either side4 #b4 ,,the ,,wanderer4 ,the ,buddha was in the habit of wandering through the country from place to place4 ,the picture shows him with a staff in his right hand and a bowl in his left in an ,indian landscape4 #c4 ,,king ,,bimbisara ,,in ,,camp4 ,standing before the royal tent he addresses his generals4 ,,act ,v4 ,,first ,,scene4 ,reception hall of the ,raja ,suddhodana2 ,indian pompous style2 columns and beyond an outlook into a tropical palm-garden4 ,seats scattered through the room4 ,on the left a compartment1 open toward the audience1 is separated from the main room by hanging carpets4 ,near the right side ,,suddhodana is seated with ,,pajapati and ,,yasodhara4 ,,rahula in the background 7viz41 in the garden7 in the care of a nurse4 ,s4 ,the time is troublesome1 and it appears that war is imminent4 ,p4 ,oh do not fret2 ,visakha is a cunning diplomat3 ,i hope he'll be successful1 and he will ,persuade ,king ,bimbisara to keep peace4 ,s4 ,i do hope too1 but hope against conviction4 ,,visakha and ,,devala enter4 ,there come the ,brahman and the gallant ,captain4 ,v4 ,kneeling on one foot to the ,king ,hail ,maharaja6 ,d4 ,hail1 my gracious ,king4 ,s4 ,welcome my worthy messengers6 ,they kneel to ,,pajapati4 ,p4 ,be welcome4 ,s4 ,tell me at once1 how did your mission speed8 ,v4 ,there is a subtle influence against you ,at ,bimbisara's court2 there is a party ,bound to have war1 and they will have it too1 ,unless we meet them by diplomacy4 ,leave it to me1 and ,i'll preserve the peace4 ,s4 ,had not my son turned mendicant1 how useful ,could he at present be6 ,i need a general1 ,a trusty man of youthful strength and courage ,to take the helm and lead the ship of state ,through storm and danger1 for our foes are strong4 ,v4 ,great ,raja1 ,i am privy to your grief1 ,i know the hope you'd set upon ,siddhattha4 ,what brilliant gifts the boy inherited1 ,from you1 his royal father1 and how he1 ,forgetful of his filial duty1 left you1 ,and his fair wife and child1 to turn a beggar4 ,s4 ,all this is true1 remind me not of it1 ',tis a disgrace to our most royal house1 ,and all the ,rajas in the ,indian land1 ,will point to us and mock the ,sakya tribe4 ,,rahula comes in with childlike joy and brings his mother a rose4 ,r4 ,here1 mother1 is a rose4 ,i picked it from the bush where the nightingale sings4 ,i thought1 if father had been here1 he would have brought the rose to you4 ,he loves the flowers and so do you4 ,y4 ,my darling6 ,s4 with a touch of anger ,yasodhara1 ,i wish you would not speak to him too much of his father4 ,r4 ,why should mother not mention father8 ,i love him and ,i should know all about him4 ,i want to join the ,buddha's brotherhood4 ,s4 ,do you love him more than your grandfather8 ,r4 ,i love my grandfather too1 ,i love mother1 and you1 dear grandmother turning to ,,pajapati4 ,you are always so kind to me4 ,i love you all4 ,but father ,i love in a different manner4 ,i love him as ,buddha4 ,i clasp my hands to him as to a god2 and so do you mother1 do you not8 ,y4 ,puts her hand on ,rahula's mouth ,hush6 ,i thank you for the rose1 my child2 now run away and bring another rose to grandfather1 and one for your grandmother ,pajapati4 ,r4 ,yes mother1 and one ,i keep for father when he comes4 ,runs off4 ,v4 ,your grandson needs a father1 ,maha ,raja6 ,and let me tender you my humble service4 ,i see ,yasodhara1 the noble princess1 ,pine patiently away and spend in mourning ,her life's best years of youth and happiness4 ,she has been cruelly deserted1 has ,been widowed by ,siddhattha for a whim4 ,give her to me in marriage1 and ,i'll prove ,a better father than that runaway1 ,a better father to your little grandson1 ,a better husband to his widowed wife4 ,s4 ,you are at liberty to ask my daughter4 ,v4 ,fair ,princess1 cease to mourn1 and grant my suit4 ,thou shalt see better days than heretofore4 ,y4 ,i pledged my troth to ,gotama ,siddhattha1 ,and ,i shall never break my faith to him4 ,v4 ,siddhattha is no more1 he has turned monk ,and you are free1 you are ,siddhattha's widow4 ,s4 ,my daughter1 do not think that ,i oppose ,visakha's suit1 for on the contrary ,i do support it1 and ,i wish you would ,accept him as a husband1 for ,i need ,alliance with a brave and trusty man4 ,v4 ,princess ,yasodhara1 here is my hand1 ,do not refuse me4 ,y4 ,brahman1 spare your words4 ,v4 ,the time will come when you will sore regret4 ,o ,king1 compel her to obey2 make use ,of your good right as master of this house1 ,for ,i alone can save the ,sakya state4 ,p4 ,o worthy ,brahman1 do not threaten us4 ,v4 ,decide1 ,o ,maharaja2 thou art ,lord6 ,thy bidding must be done4 ,shall women rule1 ,or art thou master still in thine own home8 ,s4 ,i am master here2 but not a tyrant2 ,among our people master means a leader4 ,the ,sakya yeomen justly pride themselves ,on their free institutions4 ,i'm the first ,among them1 not an autocrat nor despot2 ,i serve them as adviser1 guide and father2 ,shall ,i who never would infringe upon ,the right of any poorest peasant woman1 ,compel a princess of the royal house ,to marry 'gainst her will8 ,no sir1 not ,i4 ,i wished the ,princess to accept your suit1 ,but ,i shall never say1 ,she must be yours4 ,v4 ,king of the ,sakyas1 you forget yourself1 ,i am a ,brahman and of noble birth4 ,i served you faithfully for many years1 ,but now ,i quit your service1 for ,i know ,that ,bimbisara1 ,king of ,magadha1 ,the mightiest of ,indian rulers1 ,will welcome me as friend and counselor4 ,he bows to the ,,king and ,,pajapati1 and leaves4 ,for a moment they are all silent4 ,s4 ,i fear me that means war4 ,d4 ,indeed it does4 ,if you remember1 ,king1 ,visakha said ,there was a subtle influence against you ,at ,bimbisara's court4 ,it dawns on me ,that he1 ,visakha1 is the cause of it4 ,i saw him whisper with a courtier1 then ,he spoke in secret with a general1 ,and with the ,king too he was closeted4 ,the hypocrite has thrown away his mask1 ,and since he spoke out boldly1 ,i know now ,that he has been intriguing all the time4 ,s4 ,he thinks ,i hate my son1 but ,i do not4 ,i'm only angry1 ,i am disappointed1 ,because he did not heed my dearest wish4 ,i love him still and ,i invited him ,to visit his old home and me1 his father4 ,i sent ,udayin with a kindly greeting4 ,oh1 ,i'd forgive him all1 and e'en his flight1 ,had only he not turned a mendicant4 ,it hurts my pride to see a ,sakya prince1 ,and mine own son1 go round from house to house ,with bowl in hand to beg his daily food4 ,,rahula comes in excited4 ,r4 ,grandfather1 here is your rose1 and grandma1 here is yours4 ,and oh6 did you hear the news8 ,y4 ,what is it1 boy8 ,why are you so excited8 ,p4 ,who told you any news8 ,r4 ,the guards at the gate4 ,they say that my father has come4 ,all the people rush out of their houses and greet him with clasped hands4 ,they strew flowers on the road and hail him as the ,buddha6 ,y4 rises ,why1 is it possible8 ,wants to retire4 ,s4 ,stay here4 ,kala ,udayin comes4 ,,kala enter and kneels4 ,k4 ,i bow in humble reverence before the ,king4 ,and my respectful salutations to all the members of the royal house turning to ,,gopa and to you4 ,s4 ,bring you good news1 ,udayin8 ,k4 ,your noble son1 my ,king1 is coming4 ,s4 ,where did you find him8 ,k4 ,at the ,jetavana at ,savatthi4 ,s4 ,what kind of a place is that8 ,k4 ,it is the most wonderful pleasure park ,i ever saw4 ,o ,king1 your garden here is a paltry affair in comparison with the ,jetavana4 ,s4 ,there he lives in luxury8 ,k4 ,oh no ,sir4 ,not at all4 ,he could live in luxury1 if he wanted to1 but he leads a simple life1 as simple as the humblest servant in your home1 and when he wanders through the country after the rainy season he lives like any mendicant friar4 ,he overtook me on my way1 and when he came hither to ,kapilavatthu1 his home1 he did as usual4 ,last night he slept in the forest1 and this morning he went from house to house with bowl in hand1 begging his food1 and he spoke a blessing wherever people greeted him kindly1 or gave him to eat4 ,s4 ,oh my son1 my son6 ,why didst thou not go straight to the palace where thy father has food enough for thee and all thy disciples6 ,k4 ,he always follows the rule of the mendicants4 ,s4 ,oh my son6 ,why dost thou shame thy father in his own home8 ,k4 ,the ,blessed ,one deems it no shame to beg4 ,he is as modest as a pauper and shows no pride1 but wherever he comes1 he is greeted like a king1 nay like a king of kings1 and the wealthiest and most powerful rulers come to do him reverence4 ,s4 ,and he is here1 this wonderful man8 ,and he is my son ,siddhattha8 ,k4 ,yes1 he is here1 and it is your son1 but no longer ,siddhattha1 the ,sakya prince1 but ,sakya muni1 the sage of the ,sakyas1 the ,buddha1 the ,blessed ,one4 ,when ,i spoke to him and gave him your message1 he inquired for you and the ,queen ,pajapati ,,yasodhara rises and for you1 most honored ,princess and for ,rahula4 ,yes1 he inquired for you and how ,rahula had grown4 ,y4 ,did he speak kindly of us8 ,k4 ,he always speaks kindly1 and he is always calm4 ,music a song1 ,buddhist ,doxology1 at a distance ,k4 ,o listen to the music4 ,here he comes1 the glorious ,buddha4 ,he must be at the gate4 ,y4 rises again and withdraws4 ,i must be gone4 ,p4 ,o stay1 ,yasodhara4 ,y4 ,no1 ,i will hide me from his very sight2 and if ,i am to him of any value1 he will ask for me4 ,s4 ,stay1 ,yasodhara4 ,y4 ,he fled from me because ,i was a hindrance ,in his great quest1 and he may shun me still4 ,s4 ,stay none the less4 ,p4 ,nay1 let her withdraw2 she is in tears and would break down4 ,,yasodhara and ,,pajapati withdraw to the partition behind the curtains4 ,s4 ,you say1 that my son is greeted even by kings with clasped hands8 ,k4 ,yea1 even kings kneel to him4 ,s4 ,i shall do nothing of the kind4 ,he is my son1 my disobedient son1 and ,i am still his father4 ,,pajapati returns4 ,the procession of the ,,buddha comes4 ,two monks precede and stand at either side of the ,,buddha4 ,accompanying monks and other public come into the garden1 crowding up to the columns4 ,they all kneel with clasped hands1 except ,,suddhodana4 ,b4 ,my blessing to this house1 to you1 ,o ,king1 ,and also to the ,queen ,pajapati1 ,my dear good aunt and loving foster mother4 ,s4 ,at last thou comest back1 my wayward son1 ,but why didst shame me8 ,why didst thou go begging ,here in my capital8 ,thou art descended ,from ancestors who are a royal race4 ,b4 ,my ancestors are ,buddhas of past ages1 ,their thinking has descended unto me1 ,their habits and their rules of life ,i follow1 ,and not the regulations of a court4 ,the people rise to their feet again2 ,,kala joins ,,gopa4 ,s4 ,tell me1 what are the rules of former ,buddhas8 ,b4 ,they greet you with a stanza in return ,for any food or hospitality4 ,s4 ,i shall be glad to hear what you will say4 ,b4 ,awake from sleep1 dispel the dream2 ,before the truth's bright ray ,things truly are not what they seem ,but truth points out the way4 ,truth1 truth alone will bring you bliss1 ,in the next life and e'en in this4 ,,rahula brings a rose to ,,buddha4 ,r4 ,here1 father1 is a rose ,i saved for you ,on the big bush where nests the nightingale4 ,b4 ,and this is ,rahula6 ,how you have grown6 ,where is your mother8 ,s4 ,yasodhara was here1 ,but would not stay4 ,on hearing that you came ,she left the room and said that if at all ,you cared for her1 you would not fail to ask4 ,b4 ,but ,i want to see her1 lead me to the place4 ,,buddha hands his bowl to the ,king1 ,,pajapati rises and leads the way4 ,at a distance a flourish of trumpets4 ,d4 ,what military signals do ,i hear8 ,s4 ,go1 ,captain ,devala1 see what it means4 ,,devala exit4 ,,suddhodana hands the bowl to one of the disciples4 ,b4 ,ye two disciples shall attend the meeting4 ,above all passion has the ,buddha risen1 ,but he will comfort her who loves him dearly4 ,the ,princess' heart is filled with deepest grief1 ,and in no wise shall any one rebuke her ,in whatsoever way she greeteth him4 ,,pajapati opens the curtain leading to the apartment where ,,yasodhara sits4 ,,buddha1 ,,pajapati and ,,suddhodana enter4 ,,yasodhara sinks down before him and holds his feet1 weeping4 ,the flourish of trumpets is repeated4 ,s4 ,grows restless1 turns to ,,pajapati ,these warlike trumpets have a foreign sound ,and may forbode the enemy's attack4 ,he leaves the apartment where ,,yasodhara is and re-enters the hall1 going toward the entrance in the background between the columns4 ,b4 ,yasodhara1 ,i bring thee happy tidings1 ,deliverance is found1 let go thy grief4 ,,yasodhara looking up to ,,buddha with deep emotion4 ,y4 ,oh ,lord1 how did ,i long for your return1 ,but in your eyes ,i have become as naught4 ,b4 ,my faithful helpmate and my former wife1 ,thou hast been dear to me1 dear art thou still1 ,but truth is dearer1 and to truth ,i cling1 ,while on my quest of truth in former lives1 ,and also now in this existence1 thou ,with voluntary sacrifice hast aided me1 ,imagine not that thou a hindrance art ,to me or to my work and holy mission4 ,next to my sainted mother thou art blessed ,among the women of this world4 ,rejoice ,and let grief pass from thy suffering soul4 ,y4 ,in a kneeling posture ,grant me a boon1 my ,lord1 a precious boon4 ,r4 ,yea1 father1 grant the boon that mother wants4 ,b4 ,speak1 ,princess1 and ,i listen to thy word4 ,i know thy heart1 ,yasodhara2 ,i know ,that naught but worthy thoughts dwell in thy mind4 ,y4 ,grant me to help thee in thy noble mission4 ,i want to join the band of thy disciples4 ,she pauses and the ,,buddha hesitates to answer4 ,i shall be happy if ,i do thy work4 ,b4 ,dost thou not know this boon is but a burden8 ,y4 ,the heavier it be1 my ,lord1 the more ,i welcome it4 ,r4 ,oh grant the boon6 ,b4 ,not yet ,yasodhara1 have women been admitted2 ,but ,i foresee the time will come4 ,y4 ,my ,lord ,the time is here if thou but grant the boon4 ,the ,,buddha places his right hand in blessing upon ,,yasodhara',s head4 ,b4 ,so let it be1 and so thy boon be granted2 ,i may not hinder thee if thou insistest4 ,as ,,pajapati helps ,,yasodhara to rise1 a third flourish of trumpets is heard1 this time near by and loud4 ,,devala returns in great excitement and addresses ,,suddhodana4 ,d4 ,my noble liege1 an embassy is coming ,from ,bimbisara1 ,king of ,magadha4 ,they are the kingdom's highest ministers1 ,and sullen do they look and their retainers4 ,s4 ',tis most unfortunate1 but let them in4 ,d4 ,there's more to be announced4 ,s4 ,you look excited4 ,d4 ,it is but the beginning of the end3 ,our scouts are captured1 one of them escaped4 ,he hesitates4 ,s4 ,well1 ,devala8 ,d4 ,he carries evil news4 ,s4 ,with great anxiety ,by ,issara6 ,speak1 man6 ,don't hesitate4 ,,devala covers his eyes with his hands and sobs4 ,s4 ,tell me the worst4 ,tell me the worst at once4 ,d4 ,o that ,i had no tongue to tell the tidings4 ,s4 ,i will be brave1 speak freely6 ,be a man6 ,in the meantime the ,,buddha together with the others has entered the main hall4 ,d4 ,our cause is lost4 ,we are surrounded1 ,three bridges have been built and ,general ,siha ,stands ready with an overwhelming army ,to crush us4 ,s4 ,once ,i had a son6 ,but he ,alas6 turned mendicant and fails me now6 ,in him no drop of warrior blood is left1 ,no spark of honor gloweth in his heart ,and our ancestral pride goes down in shame4 ,b4 ,transient1 my noble father1 are all things4 ,all kingdoms finally must pass away1 ,but if thou tak'st thy refuge in the truth1 ,thou wilt be free from all vicissitudes4 ,the kingdom of the truth alone endures4 ,s4 ,with indignation4 ,siddhattha1 spare thy monkish rant1 ,far better than thy cowardly submission1 ,far nobler and befitting it would be1 ,to draw the sword and die a hero's death4 ,the embassy in solemn procession files in as before at the ,jetavana4 ,the ,,buddha withdraws and is not noticed by the embassy4 ,prime ,minister ,,nagadeva 7,n7 addresses ,king ,,suddhodana4 ,n4 ,oh ,maharaja1 listen to our message6 ,the ruler of the mighty ,magadha1 ,king ,bimbisara1 sends you kindly greetings4 ,he wants you to entreat the ,blessed ,one1 ,the holy ,buddha1 who now stays with you1 ,who1 as he learneth1 is your noble son1 ,to come to ,rajagaha on a visit4 ,there have been rumors of intended war1 ,and armies are maneuvering nearby1 ,but be assured1 our noble ,king means peace4 ,he would not draw the sword against your state1 ,nor wage a war against the ,buddha's father4 ,,suddhodana',s eye searches for the ,,buddha who has been standing behind a column and now steps forward4 ,s4 ,oh noble son1 oh blessed1 highest ,buddha1 ,thou art indeed a ,king of ,kings on earth6 ,he kneels down4 ,all members of the embassy do the same4 ,no crown thou wear'st1 no scepter's in thy hand1 ,thou needest neither lance1 nor sword nor shield1 ,and yet thou rulest1 with mere word and thought1 ,thou sway'st the destinies of all the world1 ,i did not know thy power and thy great worth2 ,but now ,i bow me down in humble faith1 ,and ,i take refuge in the truth thou preachest4 ,henceforth ,i will devote myself to spread ,the kingdom of good will and righteousness4 ,music ,buddhist ,doxology ,,curtain 99 99 99 99 99