Buddham Saranam Gacchami

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (cast)

GATEMAN

DEVADATTA, COUSIN OF THE BUDDHA ANDA CLOSE FRIEND OF AJATASHATRU

AJATASHATRU, THE PRINCE, LATER KING

DR. JAIVAKA, PHYSICIAN OFKING AJATASHATRU

THE BUDDHA

DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (act I, Scene I)

(King Bimbisara's palace. Enter Devadatta.)

GATEMAN: May I know whom you want, sir?

DEVADATTA: Yes, please go and tell Prince Ajatashatru that his friend Devadatta is here.

(Exit Gateman)

(Enter Ajatashatru)

AJATASHATRU: Come in, come in. I am so happy to see you.

DEVADATTA: I wish to have a private audience with you. May I?

AJATASHATRU: Yes, come into my chamber, come into my room. Nobody is there.

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (act I, Scene Ii)

(A most beautiful room. Enter Ajatashatru and Devadatta)

DEVADATTA: Ajatashatru, my friend, tell me frankly: are you jealous of anybody?

AJATASHATRU: I don't think so.

DEVADATTA: I am. I am so jealous of Buddha. But my jealousy does not help me at all. He now has thousands of disciples, while I have only a few. And even those few disciples are leaving me and going to him. I hate him! I want to kill him!

AJATASHATRU: Oh, now it seems to me that I am also jealous of someone.

DEVADATTA: Ah, you are also jealous of someone? Please tell me who.

AJATASHATRU: I am jealous of my father, the King. Everybody touches his feet; everybody adores him. He has so much power and wealth.

DEVADATTA: You see, you have as much reason to be jealous of your father as I have to be jealous of Buddha. But we can easily solve your problem.

AJATASHATRU: If you solve my problem I will also try to solve your problem, Devadatta.

DEVADATTA: Ajatashatru, your father is old. This is the time for him to take rest and retire, but these old men never give way. Even until the last moment they want to enjoy the world, they want to lord it over the world. In every way you have surpassed your father. You have strength; you have power. Just throw the old man into prison and then you will become King. You can rule his Kingdom peacefully and bravely. Who is there to stop you? I shall help you.

AJATASHATRU: It is an excellent idea, an excellent idea! I shall do it. And when I become King, I promise you, Devadatta, I shall help you kill Buddha.

DEVADATTA: Be sure you don't eat your promise, Ajatashatru. Now you are the Prince, but you will soon be King. And it is on the strength of my advice that you will become King.

AJATASHATRU: I am not a mean fellow. I shall remember your help. I want to become King, and with your advice I shall fulfil my desire. Then I shall help you get rid of Buddha.

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (act I, Scene Iii)

(Months later. King Ajatashatru is consulting his physician, Dr. Jaivaka.)

AJATASHATRU: Why have I begun to suffer from all kinds of diseases and ailments since I have become King? When I was Prince I was always healthy and robust. But now I have lost all my health. Is it because of the pressure of my work?

DR. JAIVAKA: No, King, it is not that which is causing your suffering.

AJATASHATRU: Why, then, am I suffering?

DR. JAIVAKA: Your disease, King, is psychological. You have an inner disease.

AJATASHATRU: What kind of inner disease? What do you mean by inner disease, Dr. Jaivaka? How will you cure me?

DR. JAIVAKA: O King, I will not be able to cure you because your disease is not physical. Your disease is mental, psychological, spiritual. Only Buddha can cure you.

AJATASHATRU: Buddha? Lord Buddha? Do you know that Devadatta and I are intimate friends, most intimate friends?

DR. JAIVAKA: Yes, I know it. And I also know that Devadatta helped you become King.

AJATASHATRU: Certainly he did. And I promised him that I would help him get rid of Buddha.

DR. JAIVAKA: That also I have heard. I am fully aware of it.

AJATASHATRU: Then why do you say that Buddha can cure me? That is impossible.

DR. JAIVAKA: O King, do you want me to tell you the truth, or do you want me to flatter you? No ordinary doctor can cure you. Only Buddha the Doctor can cure you. Your heart is extremely pure. Your heart is feeling miserable for what you have done to your father and for what you have been doing to Buddha, the innocent Buddha, the Light of the world. Once you rolled a big stone toward him while he was meditating on his disciples, but it veered away before hitting him. On another occasion, you set a mad elephant to destroy him. But Buddha just looked at the elephant and it bowed down to him. Instigated by Devadatta, in various ways you have tried to kill him, but each time you have failed, and you will always fail. Buddha has realised the highest Truth. Your heart is crying for the highest Truth. This is your disease, the disease of your spiritual heart. If you really want to be cured, go to Buddha. He is the Divine Doctor, the Doctor Supreme. Nobody on earth but Buddha can cure you. He can and he will.

AJATASHATRU: O human doctor, you are sending me to the Divine Doctor. I am grateful. My life of vital desire has ended. My life of soul's aspiration is beginning with your divine advice.

DR. JAIVAKA: Your soul is more than ready to accept the Buddha's Light. Buddha the infinite Light will transform Ajatashatru, the King of ignorance, into Ajatashatru, the Light of immortalising Bliss.

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (act I, Scene Iv)

(The Buddha with hundreds of disciples. Enter King Ajatashatru. All the disciples are excited. Ajatashatru prostrates himself before the Buddha.)

AJATASHATRU: O Lord of the world, out of our stupendous ignorance my friend Devadatta and I tried to kill you several times, but we failed, badly failed. Today I am at your august feet, to be killed immediately by your wisdom-sun.

BUDDHA: O King...

AJATASHATRU: Master, I am not your King. You are the King of my heart and soul. You are the Lord of my heart and soul. I am your undeserving slave.

BUDDHA: You are not my slave, you are my son, my chosen son. My compassion-sun forgives your ignorance-night. My wisdom-sun illumines, liberates and immortalises your heart's cry.

(Enter Devadatta. Falls at the feet of the Buddha.)

DEVADATTA: Siddhartha, while we two were quite young I fought with you over the possession of a bird. The strength of my unruly, undivine vital had to surrender to the strength of your all-loving heart. You won the bird. I told you that one day with my vital love of power I would conquer your heart's power of love. Since then I have tried in hundreds of ways to humiliate you, to ruin your mission and to kill you, but I have failed. You forgave me then, O Siddhartha. Now, O Buddha, my shameless life desperately begs your forgiveness.

BUDDHA: Devadatta, forgiveness is granted.

DEVADATTA: O Buddha, if you have really forgiven this inhuman creature, then do me another favour out of your infinite bounty. Your heart of compassion took care of that innocent bird. Now I pray to you to take care of the crying, bleeding bird inside my heart. And also I pray to you to take care of its cage, this body.

(Devadatta sings three times.)

Buddham saranam gacchami.

Dhammam saranam gacchami.

Sangham saranam gacchami.

[I go to the Buddha for refuge.

I go to the Dharma for refuge.

I go to the Order for refuge.]