Transcriber's Note:

The spelling, accents, and diacritical marks of Sanskrit names is not consistent in the book. The Table of Contents is not part of the original book.

THE BUDDHA

A DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS AND
FOUR INTERLUDES

BY

PAUL CARUS

CHICAGO

THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING CO.

LONDON: 149 Strand

1913

CONTENTS

DIRECTIONS TO THE STAGE MANAGER.

The scenery can be made very attractive by both historical accuracy and a display of Oriental luxury, but the drama may easily be performed with simple means at a small cost without losing its dramatic effect. Some of the changes, however, should be very rapid. The interludes can be replaced by lantern slide pictures, or may be omitted.

If the interludes are retained there need not be any intermission in the whole drama.

The music for the Buddha's Hymn of Victory, pages 5 and 39 (see The Open Court, XIX, 49); the dirge on page 19, (Open Court, XIX, 567); Yasōdhara's Song, page 37 (Open Court, XVIII, 625); and the Doxology, page 63 and at the end (Open Court, XVIII, 627), may be found in a collection entitled Buddhist Hymns (Chicago, Open Court Publishing Co., 1911).

COPYRIGHT BY

THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING CO.

1913

CAST OF CHARACTERS.

All vowels to be pronounced as in Italian.

GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN TERMS.

Buddha, the Enlightened One, the Saviour.
Bodhi, enlightenment or wisdom.
Bodhisatta, a seeker of the bodhi, one who endeavors to become a Buddha.
Bodhi tree, the tree under which Buddha acquires enlightenment.
Muni, thinker or sage.
Sakyamuni, the Sage of the Sakyas, the Buddha.
Tathāgata, a title of Buddha, which probably means "The Perfect One," or "he who has reached completion."
Nirvāna (in Pali, "Nibbana") eternal bliss.
Kapilavatthu, capital of the Sakyas.
Kōsala, an Indian state divided into Northern and Southern Kōsala.
Sāvátthi, capital of Northern Kōsala.
Jētavana, the pleasure garden of Prince Jēta at Sāvátthi.
Mágadha, a large kingdom in the Ganges Valley.
Rājagáha, capital of Magadha.
Uruvēla, a place near Benares.
Arāda and U'draka, two philosophers.
Licchávi, a princely house of Vesali.
Nirgrántha (lit. "liberated from bonds"), a name adopted by the adherents of the Jaina sect.
Indra, in the time of Buddha worshiped by the people as the most powerful god.
Issara, the Lord, a name of God Indra.
Yama, the god of death.
Káli, a Brahman goddess, called also Durga.

ACT I.

FIRST SCENE.

[A tropical garden in Kapilavatthu, in the background mountains, at a distance the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. On the right near the front a marble bench surrounded with bushes. Further back the palace entrance of the Raja's residence. Above the entrance a balcony. On the left a fortified gate with a guard house; all built luxuriously in antique Indian style.]

Present: Suddhodana, the king (S); Pajapati, the queen (P), and the minister of state Visakha (V).

S. My son Siddhattha truly loves his wife,
And since their wedlock has been blessed by this
Sweet, promising, this hale and healthy child,
His melancholy will give way to joy,
And we reclaim his noble energies
To do good service for our race and state.
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 again.
P. I fear his grief lies deeper than you think.
S. What sayest thou, my trusty counselor?
V. This is the last hope which I have for him,
I followed your advice and tried all means
To cure Siddhattha of his pensive mood.
I taught him all that will appeal to man:
The sports of youth, the joy of poetry
And art, the grandeur of our ancient lore,
The pleasures e'en of wanton sense; but naught
Would satisfy the yearnings of his heart.
S. Yet for religion he shows interest:
He ponders on the problems of the world.
V. Indeed he ponders on life's meaning much,
Investigates the origin of things
But irreligious are his ways of thought.
He shows no reverence for Issara,
And Indra is to him a fairy tale.
He grudgeth to the gods a sacrifice
And sheddeth tears at immolated lambs.
Oh no! he's not religious. If he were,
His ills could easily be cured by faith,
By confidence in Issara, the Lord.
S. What then is your opinion of the case?
V. Siddhattha is a youth of rarest worth,
And he surpasseth men in every virtue
Except in one.—He is too independent:
He recognizeth no authority,
Neither of men nor gods. He suffereth
[More and more impressively]
From the incurable disease of thought.
S. Cure thought with thought, teach him philosophy,
Show him the purpose of our holy writ.
Instruct him in the meaning of the Vedas,
Reveal to him their esoteric sense.
V. My lord, I did, but he is critical,
He makes objections and will not believe.
He raises questions which I cannot answer,
And his conclusions are most dangerous.
P. It seems to me that you exaggerate;
Siddhattha is not dangerous. He is
As gentle as my sister was, his mother,
And almost overkind to every one.
V. I know, my gracious lady, but e'en kindness
May harmful be, if it is out of place.
S. I see no danger in his gentle nature.
V. But he lacks strength, decision, warlike spirit.
S. That cometh with maturer years.
V.I doubt it:
Your son, my Lord, not only hath no faith
In holy writ, neither does he believe
In caste-distinction, and he would upset
The sanctioned order of our institutions.
He would abolish sacrifice and holdeth
The Brahman ritual in deep contempt.
S. Your words alarm me.
V.Rightly so; I fear
That he will stir the people to rebellion;
But since a child is born to him, his mind
May turn from dreams to practical affairs.
There are some men who care not for themselves,
Who scorn high caste, position, wealth and honor,
So far as they themselves may be concerned,
But they are anxious for their children's fortune,
And so Siddhattha soon may change his views.
S. Let us be patient for a while yet longer.
Keep everything unpleasant out of sight,
Invite him merry company. Remove
His gloomy cousin Devadatta. He tries
To reach a state of bliss by fasts,
His very play is penance and contrition.
P. Ananda is a better boon companion,
He is not so morose as Devadatta.
S. Neither is he the right friend for my son.
I grant he has a loving disposition,
But he is pensive too. Surround Siddhattha
With lads such as the gardner's jolly son,
Kala Udayin. Like a lark he warbles!
Would there were more like him. He jokes and laughs
And never makes a sullen face. But tell me
How is to-day Kala Udayin's father?
V. His sickness turns from bad to worse. I fear
He cannot live.
S. [with concern] Have him removed from here;
Siddhattha likes him much and if he knew
Udayin's sorry fate, it might undo
All good effects of joyful fatherhood.
V. The best will be to move him in the night.
S. Move him by night, and do it soon.—But hush,
Yasodhara is coming with her babe.

Yasodhara (Y) and two attendant maids, one carries an umbrella, shading the Princess; the other, Gopa (G), carries the infant.

P. [meets her and kisses her.]
Welcome, thou sweetest flower of our garden,
Thou ray of sunshine in Siddhattha's life.
S. My dearest daughter! how is Rahula?
Y. My royal father, Rahula is growing,
And he increases daily in his weight;
To-day he smiled at me most cunningly.
I'll lay him down, for he is fast asleep.

All enter the palace. The stage remains empty a moment. Soft, serious music (Buddha's "Hymn of Victory") is heard.

SECOND SCENE.

Siddhattha (B) and Kala Udayin (K) enter.

K. My sweet Prince, when you are king you must appoint me court jester. Will you, my good Lord? We two are good contrasts: You full of dignity upon a royal throne, a golden crown upon your head, the scepter in your hand, and I dressed in motley with cap and bells. Heigh ho! That will be jolly. And after all we are so much alike!

B. A royal crown shall never grace my head.

K. And why should it not, sweet Prince?

B. I have a higher aim, a greater mission.
What is a kingdom? What are wealth and power?
What crown and scepter? They are transient things,
I yearn for the Immortal state, Nirvana.

K. Then wilt thou be a Buddha? Oh, even then will I follow thee.

He kneels down with clasped hands.

Wilt thou a holy Buddha be,
O keep me in thy company
Though I'm a jester. I'll be good.
Let me attain beatitude.

B. Rise Kala, rise, I am a mortal man,
I'm not omniscient, nor have I yet
Attained the goal of goals, enlightenment.—
Tell me, why dost thou think we are alike?

K. My Lord, you have no ambition to be a king; you think the world is full of vanity, and you consider that life and its glory will pass away. That is exactly what I think. I agree with you. Only, you are of a serious disposition and take the matter to heart, while I think it is great fun. What is the use of thinking so much. We are all like bubbles: we float in the air, and then the bubble bursts and this life is over. I am now a poor boy. I fear no change. In a future incarnation I may be born as the son of a king, like you. And think of it, after a few million years, this whole world, this big bulky stupid institution, this home of so many villains, and a couple of good ones like us two among them, the theater of rascalities, of vanities, of follies, will be scattered to the winds, as if it had never existed. Be merry, my Prince, so long as the comedy lasts.

Devadatta (Dd.) appears in the background. His cheeks are sunken and his face is gloomy. His eye has a fanatic expression.

B. Consider, it may prove a tragedy.
K. Let it be what it may be. To me it will be what I think it is. It
is a huge joke.
B. But who will laugh at it, my friend?
K.I will.
B. Kala, the time will come when thou wilt weep.
K. Well then? And if I weep I shall shed tears.

Tears are a sweet relief
In anguish pain and grief.
I'll make the best of all,
Whatever may befall.

B. Thy prattle seemeth foolish, but it hideth
A deep philosophy.
K.Why then, good Lord,
Why wilt thou not its merry lesson learn?
B. Good Kala listen, and thou'lt understand:
There is a difference between our aims:
Thou clingest to this world of transiency,
But I seek the Etern. Thou seest not
The misery of life, for thou art happy—
Happy at least at present, though the next
Moment may find thee writhing in lament.
I seek a place of refuge whence I can
Extend my hand to help those in distress.
I will attain the state of Buddhahood
To bring deliverance to all mankind.

Dd. Why do you waste your time, Siddhattha, with this frivolous lad? What profit can there be in gossip such as you two carry on?

K. You always scold, you hollow-eyed sour face! You always moralize. Even your good brother-in-law is too worldly for you.

Dd. I did not speak to you, I addressed myself to Siddhattha.

B. Udayin has a heart, a human heart,
And all my sympathy goes out to him.

Dd. If you intend to lead a religious life and go into homelessness, you had better devote yourself to fasts and contemplations.

K. You do not talk to me, but I will talk to you, and I will tell you that in all your religious exercises you think of yourself, while Siddhattha thinks of others. I wish you would go into homelessness. Nobody would miss you here.

Addressing himself to Siddhattha.

But, good my Lord, you must not go into homelessness, because you will do more harm than good.

B. How can that be, my good Kala Udayin?

K. There comes your noble wife, Yasodhara.

Yasodhara comes, her maids with umbrellas keep at a respectful distance.

Y. Come see our boy, he is a lovely child;
He just woke up. He maketh you forget,
The sad thoughts of your heart on world and life,
For he, the darling babe, is life himself.

Kala flirts with Gopa, one of Yasodhara's maids.

B. I'll follow thee at once.
Y. [Addressing Devadatta]
And brother, will you come along?
Dd.Not I.
This child is but the beginning of new misery. It continues the old
error in the eternal round on the wheel of life.

She goes into the house. Devadatta withdraws into the garden.

B.Now Kala speak.

K. O Prince Siddhattha, do not go into homelessness, do not leave us. I cannot live without you. You are my comfort, my teacher, my guide. I do not follow your instructions, but I love to hear them. Oh I could not live without you. Do not go, sweet Prince. Think of your wife, your dear good lovely wife, it will break her heart. Think of your child. Do not go, noble Prince. Let somebody else become the saviour of the world. Somebody else can just as well become the deliverer and the Buddha. I am sure there are many who would like to fill that place, and somebody can do it who has a less comfortable home to leave, who has a less lovely wife, who is not heir to a kingdom, and who has not such a sweet promising little boy as you have. I cannot live without you.

B. Wouldst thou go with me?
K. [kneels]Yes my Lord, I would.
Take me along and I will cheer you up.
B. Wouldst thou go begging food from house to house?
With bowl in hand, a homeless mendicant?
K. No sir, that would not suit me.
B. Wouldst thou by night sleep under forest trees?

K. No sir, I would catch cold. That's not for me. [Rises] If you needs must go, sir, you had better go alone. That life is not for me. I will go and hear the nightingale.

Siddhattha follows the Princess into the palace.

K.

A Buddha's life
Is not for every one.
He has no wife
No pleasure and no fun.
He cannot laugh,
He cannot cry;
He cannot love
He cannot sigh.
He's always preaching, preaching.
He's always teaching, teaching.
He wonders at time's transiency
And ponders on man's misery,
And findeth his salvation
In dreary resignation.
That life I see
Is not for me:
'Twould be ill spent;
I would not find enlightenment.
I lift not the world's woe
And in my quest for truth would fail
[Muses a moment.]
So I had better go
And listen to the nightingale.

Kala Udayin exit.

[During the last scene twilight has gradually set in.]

THIRD SCENE.

[The scene changes by open curtain. A veil comes down, and when its goes up again we see the bed chamber of Siddhattha and Yasodhara dimly lit by tapers.]

Yasodhara (Y) on the bed with babe in arms, two maids in waiting. Siddhattha (B) comes in. A halo of light (not too strong) surrounds his head. The princess rises, lays the babe down and advances toward her husband.

Y. O good my Lord, my Prince, my Husband!

A pause. She changes her voice as if ashamed of her show of feeling. With a matter-of-fact intonation.

Rahula fell asleep again.

B. Why art thou sad, my good Yasodhara?
I see a tear that glitters in thine eye.

Y. An unspeakable melancholy steals over my soul when I hear you speak of your religious longings.

B. Wouldest thou not rejoice if I fulfilled
My mission; if I reached the highest goal?

Y. Oh! Siddhattha! you do not love me.

B. My heart embraces all the world—and thee.

Y. If you loved me truly, there would not be much room for all the world. You think of the world all day long, and have not a minute's time for your wife.

B. I have, my dear!

Y. My noble Husband!

B. Speak!

Y. Scarcely do I dare to call you by that name. You are kind and gentle, but for a husband you are too lofty, too distant in your dignity. It may be wrong in me, it may be sinful, but I wish you were less lofty and more loving.

B. My dearest "Wife," I call thee so on purpose—
My dearest "Wife," thou dost not understand:
The misery and ills of all the world
Weigh heavy on my heart. I'll find no peace
Until at last a remedy be found.

Y. Why dost thou trouble about others? Think of thy son, thy sweetest Rahula, and if thou lovest me a little only, think of me.

B. I think of thee, my loving Wife, but when
I think of thee I think of all—of all
The loving wives, the happy trembling mothers
All over in the world. Happy they are,
But trembling for their babes. Oh! bear in mind,
We all are in the net of sorrow caught.
This world is full of pain, disease and death;
And even death brings no relief. Because
The wheel of life rolls on. The ills continue
In births that constantly repeat themselves.

Y. Oh! do not speak of it my Lord, it makes me sad. Why do you think of misery, while here we are surrounded by wealth and comfort, and even the prospects of our future are most auspicious. Why borrow trouble before it comes?

B. My dear Yasodhara, change is the law
Of being. Now we prosper, but the wheel
Goes round and brings the high into the dust.
Y. You suffer from bad dreams;
B.Listen to me.

They sit down.

In this luxurious palace and these gardens,
Surrounding it, was I brought up with care.
I saw naught but the fair, the beautiful,
The pleasant side of life.
Y.I know, Siddhattha—
I know it very well.
B.You know, my father
Has kept me ignorant of evil things.
I might have thought that such is life throughout,
But I began to doubt and asked for leave
To see the world outside these palace walls.
Not without difficulty did I gain
Permission, and with Channa in a chariot
I drove away—when suddenly before me
I saw a sight I'd never seen before.
There was a man with wrinkled face, bleared eyes,
And stooping gait, a sight most pitiable.

Yasodhara is much moved.

While I was horror-struck, Channa passed by
Indifferent, for he had seen such men.
Too well he knew the common fate of all;
But I, the first time in my life, did learn
That, if we but live long enough, we all
Shall be such miserable wretched dotards.
Y. Too sudden came this saddening truth to you.
B. Channa sped on his horses out of town,
But there again! what an ungainly sight!
A man lay on the road-side, weak and helpless,
With trembling frame and feverish cramps.
I shut mine eyes to so much racking pain,
Still I could hear his groaning and his moaning.
"Oh, Channa," said I to the charioteer:
"Why does this happen? How deserves this man
The wretchedness of his great agonies?"
"How do I know?" said Channa, "for we all
Are subject to distemper and disease.
Sometimes the best are stricken—and must die!"
"Must die?" cried I, "What does that word portend?"
For, you must know, I never heard of death.
My father had forbidden, at his court
To speak to me of anything unpleasant.
"Yea, die!" said Channa, "Look around and see!"
Along the road a funeral procession
Moved slowly, solemnly and mournfully
And on the bier a corpse, stark, stiff and cold.
Y. Do not be troubled, death is still far off.
B. Oh do not feel secure, for the three evils
Surround us constantly and everywhere,
And even now death hovers o'er our house.
When I was born my mother went to heaven,
Which means, she died when she gave life to me.

Y. My Lord don't think of evils that are past.
B. The world's impermanence is still the same,
And all material things are conformations
Subject to pain, decay and dissolution.
Yet unconcerned in blessed carelessness
Man hunteth after pleasure. Transiency
Has set its mark on life, and there is none
Who can escape its curse. There is no mortal
Who's always happy. Misery surprises
The luckiest with unexpected terror.
Then, in addition, unseen powers breed
Most heinous maladies and fever heat.
E'en if we were exceptions, thou must grant
That finally we too will meet our doom.
The ghastly specter Death, the stern king Yama,
Awaiteth all of us. Such is our fate!
Y. O put away these gloomy thoughts, and think
Of life and love, and of thy lovely child.
B. Could we be truly happy while the world
Is filled with misery? Mine eyes are opened;
I see how death his gruesome revel holds.
He owns the world and sways its destinies.
One creature ruthlessly preys on the other,
And man, the cleverest, preys on them all.
Nor is he free, for man preys upon man!
Nowhere is peace, and everywhere is war;
Life's mighty problem must be solved at last.—
I have a mission to fulfil.
Y.And me
Wouldst sacrifice for a philosophy,
For the idea of an idle quest!
B. 'Tis not for me to ask whether my quest
Be vain: for me 'tis to obey the call.

Y. [with passionate outburst] Siddhattha, O my Lord, my husband, what wilt thou do? Dost thou forget the promise made me on our wedding day?

B. Yasodhara, a higher duty calls.
The time will come, and it is close at hand,
When I shall wander into homelessness.
I'll leave this palace and its splendid gardens
I'll leave the pleasures of this world behind
To go in quest of Truth, of saving Truth.

Yasodhara sinks on her knees before him and clasps his knees.

Y. And me, my Lord, thy quest will make a widow!
Oh, stay, and build thee here a happy home.
B. My dear Yasodhara, it cannot be.

The Prince stands lost in thought. Rahula is restless. Yasodhara rises and turns toward the child.

Y. He wakes again. I come, my babe, I come.

[The veil comes down again, and when it rises it shows the garden before the palace as in the first scene, but it is night and all is wrapped in darkness.]

FOURTH SCENE.

King Suddhodana (S) and his minister Visakha (V) come out of the entrance. Later on Captain Devala (D) and soldiers.

S. Unfortunate, most unfortunate, that Udayin died. Siddhattha will miss the gardener and will ask for him.

V. The Prince loves flowers, and he knows them all by name; he loves trees and shrubs, and praises them for yielding fruit and grain for feeding us without the need of shedding blood.

S. Have the body removed so long as it is dark.

V. The moon is full to-day and must rise in a little while.

S. Double the guards at the gate. I am afraid my son will flee. It would be a disgrace on my house to have him become a mendicant. The kings of Kosala, of Magadha, and all the others look with envy on our sturdy people; they dislike our free institutions and our warlike spirit. They would scoff at us if a Sakya prince had become a monk. But if Siddhattha does flee, I swear by Lord Indra that I shall disown him; I will no longer recognize him as my son. I will disinherit him and make Rahula my heir apparent.

Visakha looks at Suddhodana in amazement.

S. I am serious and I will do it. I swore an oath, and Issara will help me to keep it. Now go to the captain of the guards and do as I bid you.

Exit. The Minister alone.

V. Oh! What a chance for me! Siddhattha will flee, if he be not prevented; he will be disinherited. Rahula is a babe, and it will take twenty years before he grows up to manhood.—[He muses.] I may proceed on different lines, and one of them must certainly lead to success. I may marry the Princess and become the stepfather of the heir apparent, his guardian, the man who has him in his power—Hm! Hm! I need not plan too far ahead. And if that plan did not work, the King of Magadha would make me raja of the Sakyas, if I would recognize him as my liege.

The full moon rises and the scene becomes gradually brighter. Visakha knocks at the gate.

Who is on guard?

Officer comes out.

D. I am, my Lord, 'tis Captain Devala.

V. 'Tis well. King Suddhodana requests you to double your guard to-night, for he has reasons. Further he wants you to remove the corpse of Udayin, the gardener who died to-day of an infectious disease. Be on your guard, for where a dead body lies there are ghosts—and [in a half whisper] when you see demons or gods, keep yourselves, you and your men, locked up in the guard house, and the spook will pass without harm.

D. Your order shall be punctiliously obeyed.

Pays his military salute and returns to the guard house.

V. That settles the guard, and should Siddhattha flee he will find no obstacle.

Two men come out of the guard house and enter the palace with a bier. Kala Udayin comes back from the garden. Visakha retires into the background.

K. The nightingale is a sweet bird, but I like the lark better. The nightingale is more artistic, but his song is melancholy, he is so sentimental! The lark has a mere twitter like my own song, I like the lark better. How beautiful is this summer night; How glorious is the moon; how fragrant are the roses in the garden! It is a most auspicious night, and all breathes happiness.

Visakha from his hiding place watches Kala.

V. He comes in time, his presence will prosper my plans.

[Kala is lost in thought. Music, from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, somber and as if coming from a distance, is heard.]

K. [while the music plays] What a strange presentiment is stealing over my soul. Perhaps I was too happy! What does Siddhattha say?

"All conformations always are transient,[A]
Harrassed by sorrow, lacking a self."

[A] The quoted lines run in the same rhythm as the melody and should be pronounced accordingly. See Buddhist Hymns, p. 22.

The men come with the corpse on the bier. Kala stops them.

K. What do you carry? Who is this? [he shrieks] My father! [The carriers set the corpse down and Kala sinks down by the bier.] Oh, my father! my dearest father! How did you die? Why did you leave me? Oh, my father! [he sobs].

The moon sinks behind a cloud.

Siddhattha comes.

B. What may the trouble be? I heard a shriek.

Kala raises himself half way up. The scene is bright again.

K. Oh, my Prince! See here! My father is dead! Now I know the truth as well as you. Now I feel the pain. The time has come for me to lament. I was so happy and I would not believe you.—Oh ye who are happy, think in the hour of happiness that all is subject to suffering, and the hour of suffering will come to you too. Nay more than that, the hour of death will come; it has come to my father, it will come to you and to me, and then my caroling will stop forever. Oh, my poor father!

B. How rarely is thy advent welcome, Death,
E'en this poor gardener who a servant was
His livelong days, leaves in our hearts a gap.
His son lamenteth him, and I not less;
He was my loving friend; my educator,
He had me on his knees so many a time,
To tell me how the flowers will grow and blow,
And how they prosper after rainy days.
May gentle lilies from thy ashes spring,
Decked with the purity of thine own heart,
And with their fragrance give the same delight
That in thy present life thou gavest us.

The carriers lift up the body and carry it out.

Oh, fare thee well, thou good and worthy friend,
Oh, fare thee well, but thy departure is
To me a token that my time has come.

Turning to Kala who all the while was lying prostrate weeping.

Weep not, companion of my childhood days,
But bear in mind the courage of thy mirth.
Remember all the virtues of thy father
And let them live again in thine own heart.
Thou must not yield to weakness and lamenting,
Tend to life's duties: Go and call me Channa,
Bid him to saddle Kanthaka, my steed,
And let him ready be for a night's ride.

Kala exit. Siddhattha alone.

The hour has come! and now my last farewell
To thee my wife and Rahula my son.

Siddhattha makes a few steps and halts.

This is the greatest sacrifice I bring:
I leave behind a crown without regret;
I leave the luxury of wealth and power;
I care for them as though they were but ashes
But I must also leave my wife and child:
Here I must prove the courage of my heart.

Enters the house.

FIFTH SCENE.

[The veil of clouds comes down, and when it rises we see Yasodhara's bedroom again.]

Siddhattha (B) enters. Yasodhara (Y) sleeps with the babe in her arms.

B. Here lie the rarest treasures of this life,
My noble wife, my dear boy Rahula.

Siddhattha approaches the bed.

Your sleep is sweet in your sweet innocence,
And I will not disturb your blissful rest.
I will go out in search for saving Truth
And shall not come again unless 't be found
Farewell my wife and Rahula my son.
Must I be gone? Is this, in sooth, my duty?

He goes toward the door. There he stops.

Perchance on their account I ought to stay.
But no! my father can take care of them.
It is my tender heart that makes me weak.
This is the greatest sacrifice I bring.

SIXTH SCENE

[Change of scene, as rapid as before. The garden before the palace]

Channa (Ch.) enters with a horse.

Channa. My Prince, here is your steed!

Mara (M), a superhuman figure, gaudily dressed, hovering in the air, suddenly appears and addresses Siddhattha (B).

M. It is a shame to leave your wife and child.
B. [Addressing the vision in the air.]
Mara, thou here? thou wicked one, thou tempter!
K. Oh do not leave us Prince. Think of the wrong you do.
You wrong your royal father, you wrong your wife, you wrong your child.
B. What sayest thou? Thou sayest I do wrong?
The same rebuke is echoed in my heart;
It is so sweet, so loving, so alluring!
And shall I listen to its tender voice?
How pleasant would it be to stay at home,
And to enjoy my wife's love and my child's!
Is that my duty? Say, is that my duty?

K. Surely my Lord, your duties lie at home.

Siddhattha wavers as if in doubt. He stands pondering for a moment.

B. Who will instruct me where my duty lies?
M. I will instruct thee, I will guide thee right.
K. How can you doubt, my Prince? And can you not
Search for the truth here in this pleasant garden?
There're spots enough where you can think and ponder,
And meditate among the fragrant flowers.
B. Here I shall never reach my goal.
K.Stay here.
A kingdom is your sure inheritance,
While Buddahood is but a doubtful prize.
B. And shall the world wait for another Buddha?
So many millions clamor for the truth!

With determination.

I hear the call and naught shall hold me back.
I see my duty and I will obey.
M. Wilt thou not stay, my noble Prince Siddhattha?
The wheel of empire turns, and thee I shall
Make king of kings to rule the whole broad earth.
Think of the good which thou wilt do as king!
And then as king of kings thy mighty power
Will spread the good religion o'er the world.
B. I know thee Mara, tempter, Evil One,
Prince of this world, I know thy voice, thy meaning.
The gifts thou offerest are transient treasures,
And thy dominion is mere vanity.
I go to found a kingdom in the realm
Of the immortal state which lasts for aye.
Thou hinderest and dost not help the truth.
K. Thou speakest to the empty air, my Prince,
For I see no one whom thou thus addressest.

Channa helps Siddhattha to mount, and while the gate opens leads the horse out of the gate, and Kala enters into the palace. Visakha is coming to the front.

V. He is gone. He has made room for me. The time will come when this kingdom will be mine.

Y. [from the balcony] Siddhattha! Siddhattha! Where are you? He is gone! He has departed into homelessness! [She faints.]

[Curtain]

FIRST INTERLUDE.

Living pictures accompanied by appropriate music, as an introduction to Act II.

1. Begging Food.

A scene of the Prince's life as a mendicant friar.

A Hindu village, Siddhattha stands bowl in hand before a hut; a woman dishes some rice from a kettle into his bowl; villagers, including children, stand around gazing at him,—a few with clasped hands.

2. The King Greets the Mendicant.

Tradition tells that King Bimbisara, hearing of the noble monk, went out to see him and offered him to take part in the government. This being refused, the King requested him to visit Rajagaha, the royal residence, as soon as Siddhattha had become a Buddha.

Siddhattha is seated under a tree near a brook; the king stands before him, surrounded by his retinue.

3 Preaching to the Villagers.

Under the tree in the market place of a Hindu village The Buddha is seated in the attitude of a preacher. The villagers stand or squat around intently listening.

4. Saved from Starvation

In company with other monks, Siddhattha sought for a while enlightenment by self-mortification.

Being exhausted by severe fasts, the mendicant faints, and Nanda, the shepherd's daughter, passing by, refreshes him with rice milk. His five disciples at a distance fear that he has given up his quest for truth.

ACT II.

FIRST SCENE

[Seven years have elapsed since the first act. A room in the royal palace at Magadha]

Present: Nagadeva (N), the prime minister, General Siha (GS), commander-in-chief of the Magadha forces. Later on the Master of Ceremonies (MC), King Bimbisara (Bb.), a trumpeter and a small body guard.

N. It is a joy to serve this mighty king
Whose power extendeth over many lands.
In peace he ruleth wisely, and his subjects
Obey him willingly for he is just.
In war he swoops upon his enemies
As doth a hawk upon a helpless chicken,
Quick in attack, lucky in every fight.
Indeed he earned his name deservedly,
The warlike Bimbisara.
GS.At his side
I fought with him in many a doubtful battle
With all the odds against us, but his daring,
Joined to a rare instinctive foresight
By which he could anticipate all dangers,
Would win the day and ne'er was he defeated!
In this our latest war he took great risks,
Might have been taken by his foes, and would
Have lost his liberty, his throne, his life;
But venturing much he won, and by exposing
His own high person in the brunt of battle
He stirred the courage of his followers
To do great deeds of valor.

Master of Ceremonies enters with a trumpeter.

MC.Noble lords,
Mis majesty, our royal lord, is coming
To meet you here in private council.

Trumpeter blows a signal.

GS. Hail the victorious, warlike Bimbisara!

Both kneel as the king enters preceded and followed by a small body guard.

Bb. Be greeted noble lords.

N. We wish you joy and the continuance of your good fortune.

Bb. I have a matter to bespeak with you,
Far-reaching weighty plans of great importance.
I wish to be alone with you.

Turning to the captain of his body guards.

Captain, have this room guarded by your soldiers.
The gong shall call you when I need your service.

The soldiers march out of the room.

Be seated, my good lords.
You helped me gain a wondrous victory
Which proves I have the favor of the gods.
I probed your skill, your courage and your faith
And found you both most able and most trusty.
Therefore you are to me much more than vassals
And servants of the state; you are my helpers,
Indeed my friends and nearest to my heart.
A king needs friends who share his secret thoughts,
Who stand by him in all vicissitudes,
Who bear with him responsibilities,
And above all, who frankly speak the truth.
I ask you, will you be such friends to me?
GS. I will with all my heart.
N.And I not less.
Bb. I, my dear friends, I promise you in turn
That I shall not resent your words of truth
If spoken in good faith with best intentions.
I may not always follow your advice,
But you are free to say whate'er you please,
Whate'er you may deem best for me to know,
Whate'er will benefit the empire and my people.
Now listen what I have to say to you.
I will reveal to you my inmost heart:
This is an age of greatest expectations;
Riches accumulate in our cities,
Commerce and trade are flourishing, and
Our caravans exchange our native goods
For gold and precious produce from abroad.
What India needs is unity of rule.
The valley of the holy Ganges should
Be governed by one king, a king of kings.
There should no longer be a rivalry,
A clash of interests between the states,
And all the princes should obey the rule
Of the one man who guides and guards the whole.
This therefore is my plan: you Nagadeva
Must gain the favor of our neighbor kings,
So as to make them recognize our sway.
If voluntarily they will submit,
They shall be welcome as our worthy vassals.
If they resist (turning to Siha) my gallant general
You must reduce them to subjection.
A treaty with the rajas in the east,
In southern and in northern Kosala,
Speedeth my plans, the Sakyas only
Defy our sovereign will, and keep aloof.
If they yield not, their power must be broken!
There is a task for you and for my army.
N. Permit, my noble king, that I advise you.
I know the Sakya minister of state,
And he is willing to betray his master.
The Sakya prince, the only son and heir,
Siddhattha Gotama he's called by name,
Went into homelessness and has turned monk,
Leaving behind his wife and a small son.
The minister aspireth to the throne,
And if we help him in his plans, he will
Acknowledge you as sovereign over him.
And that will save your army blood and trouble.
Bb. What is his name.
N.Visakha, noble King.
Bb. I wish to see him. Let him visit you
And as by accident I want to meet him.
GS. Allow me, mighty King, a word of warning.
Bb. Speak freely.
GS.

With unconcealed indignation, almost entreatingly.

Do not listen to a traitor.
Send me with all the army of the kingdom,
Bid me lead captive all the Sakyas; do it
In open fight but not by treachery.
My King, avoid alliance with Visakha,
His very breath contaminates. He lowers
Ourselves to his low level.
Bb.Thank you Siha.
I will be slow. [Pondering] But it is too important!

Argues with himself.

May I not listen to a traitor's words,
Nor hear him,—profit by his information?
GS. Oh do it not!
Bb.Siha, thou art a soldier.
I honor thee, thou speakest like a soldier,
But think how much diplomacy will help,
How many lives and property it saves.
Without the brutal means of war it will
Better accomplish all our ends; it spares
The enemy as well. A prosperous country
Will serve me better than a city sacked
And villages destroyed by fire.
GS. Pardon, my liege, I do not trust a traitor.
Bb. I will be on my guard, but I shall see him,
'T shall be by way of reconnoitering.
You in the meantime keep the army ready,
For one way or another I must conquer
The Sakya king and make him do my bidding.

The King rises indicating that his two counselors are dismissed. They rise also.

The world is growing wider every day
And our souls broaden with the general progress.
A new era dawns upon us. Let us all
Help to mature the fruitage of the times.

SECOND SCENE

[The garden before the palace of King Suddhodana as in Act I]

Presents Yasodhara (Y) with her maid Gopa (G) and Rahula (R).

Y. Repeat that verse once more and then we will stop our lesson.

R.

With goodness meet an evil deed,
With loving kindness conquer wrath,
With generosity quench greed,
And lies by walking on truth's path.

Y. Now you can run about in the garden or play with the Captain's son.

R. Mother, I do not believe that goodness always works in this life.

Y. Why do you think so?

R. Because there are very bad boys, so bad that only a whipping will cure them.

Y. Rahula!

R. Truly, mother, truly. Even the gardener says so.

Y. You must set the bad boys a good example.

R. No use, mother; they remain bad. I have tried it.

Y. You must have patience.

R. No use, mother; and the gardener says, A viper remains a viper.

Y. Even poisonous reptiles can be tamed.

R. Yes, but the gardener first pulls their fangs. Would you like me to play with a viper?

Y. No, my boy.

Excitement at the gate. Kala enters and soldiers of the guard surround him.

R. What is going on?—O Mother! Kala Udayin is back!

Kala Udayin (K) appears among the guards. Rahula runs to the gate.

R. Kala! Welcome home! Shake hands!

K. Be heartily greeted, my boy.

R. Did you see father?

K. I did, Rahula.

R. Tell me all.

K. I will tell mother.

R. Come to mother. She has been expecting you for many days.

Kala kneels to the Princess.

Y. Gopa, take his bundle. [The maid takes his bundle and carries it into the house.] What news do you bring of Prince Siddhattha?

K. I followed the Prince from place to place and saw him last near Benares in the forest of Uruvela.

Y. How is his health, and will he come back?

K. His health is probably good, but he does not think of coming back—not yet. O my dear lady! If you could see him! he is as thin as a skeleton. I could count all his ribs.

R. What is the trouble with father.

K. He is fasting. He lives on a hempcorn a day; think of it, one little hempcorn a day!

Y. Oh, he will die! My poor husband. I must follow him and attend to his wants. He needs his wife's loving care. I will leave my home and follow him.

K. Could you help him, princess? He might not like it, and the monks abhor women. Moreover, I was told that he takes food again, every morning a cup of rice milk. The day I left he looked better. Still, he was pretty pale.

Y. Tell me all you know of him.

K. I went first to Rajagaha, and there I heard wondrous tales about the noble monk Gotama. All the people knew about him, they called him a "sage" or "muni" and the "Bodhisatta."

R. What does that mean, Kala?

K. Bodhisatta is the man who seeks the bodhi—and the bodhi is enlightenment or Buddhahood.

Y. What did the people of Rajagaha say?

K. When Prince Siddhattha came to Rajagaha, he created a great excitement in the city. Never had been seen a mendicant of such noble appearance, and crowds flocked to him. They thought he was a Buddha and greeted him as a Buddha; but he said to them "I am not a Buddha; I am a Bodhisatta, I seek Buddhahood, and I am determined to find it."

Y. Did you meet people who saw him?

K. Indeed, I did. They say he looked like a god. The news spread all over the capital, and King Bimbisara himself went out with his ministers to see the Bodhisatta. King Bimbisara came to the place where the stranger stayed—under a forest tree near a brook—and greeted him most respectfully saying, "Great monk, remain here with me in Rajagaha; I see that you are wise and worthy. Live with me at the royal palace. Be my adviser and counselor. You are not made for a mendicant. Your hands are fit to hold the reins of empire. Stay here, I beg you, and you shall not lack honor and rank." "Nay," replied Siddhattha, "let me go my way in quest of enlightenment. I am bent on solving the problem of existence, and I will become a Buddha." Said the King, "Hear then, great monk. Go in quest of enlightenment, and when you have found it come back to Rajagaha."

Y. Is King Bimbisara so religious?

K. King Bimbisara is ambitious. As is well known, he is a warrior and a conqueror; but that is not all. He wants to be the greatest monarch of all ages and he would have all the great events happen under his rule. This is what he said to the Bodhisatta: "When I was a youth I uttered five wishes, and they were these: I prayed, May I be crowned King. This wish has been fulfilled. Then I wished, May the holy Buddha, the Blessed One, appear on earth while I am King, and may he come to my kingdom. This was my second wish, and while I gaze upon you I know that it will be fulfilled. Further I wished, May I see the blessed Buddha and pay my respects to him. This was my third wish. My fourth wish was, May the Blessed One preach the doctrine to me, and my fifth and greatest wish was this, May I understand the doctrine. I beg you, therefore, great monk, when you have become a Buddha come back and preach the doctrine to me and accept me as your disciple."

Y. And whither did Siddhattha go from Rajagaha?

K. He visited the great philosophers Arada and Udraka, but he found no satisfaction in their theories. So he went on to Uruvela where the ascetics live. I followed the Bodhisatta and learned that he stayed with five disciples in the forest. I found shelter near by in the cottage of the chief shepherd, a good old man with a pretty daughter, Nanda. There I watched Siddhattha and his disciples from a distance. He was the youngest but the wisest of them, and they reverenced him as master. He outdid them all in fasting. One day Nanda, the shepherd's daughter, saw him faint, and he might have died from exhaustion right on the spot if Nanda had not given him rice milk to drink.

Y. O good Kala, what shall I do? What shall I do? Here I sit at home, a poor, helpless woman, unable to assist him or to take care of him! O Kala, advise me, what can I do?

King Suddhodana (S) and Visakha (V) come out of the palace. The Princess retires into the palace. Gopa hides behind the bushes.

S. I am glad to see you back. Have you seen my son?

K. I have sire.

S. Where did you find him?

K. At Uruvela, the place of mortification where saints try to see visions and reach a state of bliss.

V. And has Siddhattha succeeded?

K. It does not seem so; he is starving himself to death.

V. Is he dying?

K. Not exactly, but I do not see how he can live—on that diet.

S. Oh, Visakha, how have I been deprived of my son through a whim!

Both return into the palace. Visakha comes back.

V. It seems that Siddhattha is ruining himself.

K. At the rate he is going now, he won't stand it long. He may not live another month. It is pitiable. You should have seen him. That beautiful young man looks like a consumptive in his last stage. I did not dare to tell what I thought. The Princess would not have borne the sad news.

V. Too bad. It looks pretty hopeless.

K. I do not see how the Prince can survive.

V. What is the idea of these fasts?

K. These pious recluses believe that the self is imprisoned in the body and that the senses are the prison gates. They want to liberate the soul, and many of them behold visions, but Siddhattha seems to doubt whether the saints of Uruvela proceed on the right track. Indeed he denies the very existence of the self.

V. I know he does. His views should be branded as purely human wisdom. As the senses are finger touch, eye touch, ear touch, nose and tongue touch, so the mind is to him mere thought touch. He claimed that the mind originates through a co-operation of the senses.

K. His disciples begin to break away from him.

V. That is right. They ought to have done so long ago. I always said that Siddhattha is an unbeliever. He spurns faith and relies too much on his own observation and reasoning. He will never find enlightenment. He is too negative, too nihilistic, and his quest of Buddhahood will end in a lamentable failure.

K. It would be a pity, sir. He is certainly in earnest to find the truth—the real truth, not what the priests say nor the Vedas declare, but the truth, provable truth.

V. Yes that is his fault. When the king speaks with you tell him all, explain the hopelessness of his situation. The king ought to know the facts.

Visakha retires into the palace.

K. [Calls in a low voice] Gopa, Gopa!

[Gopa appears from behind the bush.]

K. [Aside] I knew she would not be far.

G. What do you want?