Chapter 1

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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

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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.

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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.

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