THE BUDDHA
BY PAUL CARUS
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.
CAST OF CHARACTERS.
GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN TERMS.
ACT I.
ACT II.
ACT III.
ACT IV.
ACT V.
* * * * *
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);
Yasodhara'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._
Siddháttha Gótama, Prince of the Sakyas, later on the Buddha _B_
Suddhodana, King of the Sakyas, father of Siddháttha _S_
Pajapati, Queen of the Sakyas, aunt and stepmother of
Siddháttha _P_
Princess Yasodhara, Siddháttha's wife _Y_
Rahula, Yasodhara's son _R_
Devadatta, brother of Yasodhara _Dd_
Kala Udayin, a gardener's son _K_
Gopa, Yasodhara's maid _G_
Visakha, a Brahman, Prime Minister of Suddhodana _V_
Devala, a Sakya Captain _D_
Bimbisara, King of Magadha _Bb_
Ambapali, King Bimbisara's favorite _Ap_
Nagadeva, Prime Minister of Mágadha, leader of an embassy _N_
General Siha, in the service of King Bimbisara _GS_
Jeta, Prince of Northern Kosala _J_
Anatha Pindika, a wealthy man of Savattha _A_
Mara, the Evil One _M_
Channa, Prince Siddháttha's groom _Ch_
Master of Ceremonies at Magadha _Mc_
General Siha's Captain _C_
A Brahman Priest _Pr_
A Farmer _F_
Servant _St_
Ministers, Officers, Soldiers, Trumpeters, Villagers, A Shepherd.
Singers: Mara's Daughters, Angels, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva.
* * * * *
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.
Tathagata, a title of Buddha, which probably means "The Perfect
One," or "he who has reached completion."
Nirvana (in Pali, "Nibbana") eternal bliss.
Kapilavatthu, capital of the Sakyas.
Kosala, an Indian state divided into Northern and Southern Kosala.
Savátthi, capital of Northern Kosala.
Jetavana, the pleasure garden of Prince Jeta at Savátthi.
Mágadha, a large kingdom in the Ganges Valley.
Rajagáha, capital of Magadha.
Uruvela, a place near Benares.
Arada 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.
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