SECOND SCENE.

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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.]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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