Original subtitles

The time and season has arrived.

Only then did I realize it was all a dream.

But they were so real.

So real, my lord.

Great teachers, what is the meaning of the dream?

Your majesty, there is no need to be alarmed. You are very fortunate.

A great and noble son will be born to you. What?

I will finally have a son.

Yes, your majesty, and not just any ordinary child.

Your son will become a very great being.

He will be a universal monarch.

He will be a Buddha.

Please stop at the foot of the huge cell tree.

Hold!

What's wrong, my lady? You are in no condition to walk. Please come back.

I have strict instructions from the king not to stop until we reach your father's

kingdom. I'm sorry, but we must proceed, your highness.

We have no time to go to my father's kingdom.

My baby's here.

Chief am I in all the world.

There is no equal to me.

I am supreme.

This is my last birth.

No rebirth for me.

Great teachers, I am glad to see you again.

Isn't he a fine-looking boy?

Yes, your majesty.

Let us name your son Siddhartha, which means wish fulfilled.

Siddhartha. What do you think? My queen?

Yes, it is a beautiful name.

Let's name our son Siddhartha.

Your majesty.

We are now certain that the prince will become a universal monarch.

However... However?

If he chooses to renounce the world, he will become an ascetic.

What? He is a prince.

Why should he renounce the world?

That's absurd.

He will become a great ruler.

No, your majesty.

He will definitely choose the ascetic life.

He will become...

A Buddha.

Kondana, you are the youngest and wisest of them all.

Tell me, what will make my son choose the ascetic life and become a Buddha?

When he sees the four signs, your majesty.

Four signs?

What four signs?

An old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic. Ministers!

from this time forth if ever the prince leaves the palace gates let no such

sights be allowed to come near my son remove them from the streets siddhartha

will be ruler of kapilawattu and no one will stop that

This is also with him!

This must be a special occasion!

The prince is missing!

The prince is missing!

Poor bird.

Who did this to you?

Give me the bird, Siddhartha. I shot it.

No, I'm not giving it to you.

If you had killed it, it would have been yours.

Since it is only wounded and I saved its life, it belongs to me.

I saw the bird first and I was the one who shot it. Therefore, the bird belongs

to me.

Let us go to the court of wise men and ask them who really owns the bird.

Sirs, it is true that my cousin Devadatta is responsible for shooting

this bird.

However, I was responsible for taking out the arrow and nursing it.

Therefore, the bird belongs to me.

Young men, we all agree that a life certainly must belong to him who tries

to save it.

A life cannot belong to one who tries to destroy it.

Your Majesty!

My dear Kondana, it has been a long time since I've seen you.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I see that Prince Siddhartha has grown to become a fine young man.

Kondana, since the Queen died, I have been a mother and father to him.

He has everything that he could possibly want.

Palaces, the best teachers, fine horses, and young servants to attend to his

every need.

Your Majesty.

It is truly unfortunate that the Queen died so soon after his birth.

But you have brought him up well.

Everyone is talking about what a fine horseman he is and his skills in the art

of self-defense.

Yes, Gundana.

You must have heard about the great flood that has destroyed many crops and

homes.

Yes, Your Majesty.

There is starvation everywhere, and people are dying of the plague.

That is true, Kondana.

But how long can I keep this news from Siddhartha?

I still think about your prediction.

What can I do?

Your son is now 16 years old.

Get him married at once.

He will lead a luxurious and blissful life, unaware of these problems around

him. That's a great idea, Kondana.

I will arrange for all the most beautiful girls to... Come to the palace

at once.

Yes, sir.

Is there no gift left for me, sir?

I am sorry.

Those were all the gifts I had.

Wait.

Please take this.

Oh, thank you. They're beautiful.

The marriage will take place immediately.

Decorate the streets.

Invite the kings from all the lands.

Arrange for a big feast.

Let there be dancing in the streets.

Everyone should be as happy as I am.

uh uh

What's wrong, my lord?

It's nothing.

Just a bad dream.

Please, go back to sleep.

What is the meaning of my dream?

There is something beyond those walls.

Chana!

Channa!

Channa!

Who?

Who is that at this hour?

Your Highness, what are you doing here?

Channa, I need your help.

We're going out for a ride.

Please, get my chariot.

Your Highness, I cannot do that.

Why at this hour?

It will soon be daylight and I can arrange for the guards to take... No,

Chana.

This is important.

No one should see me.

Can you help me, please?

Please? Your Highness, you don't need to plead.

I'm your servant.

I'll prepare the chariot at once.

Chana, stop.

What is that?

He does not look like one of us.

His hair is white.

His skin is wrinkled.

That is an old man.

Old man?

What is an old man?

He was once young like us, but as time passed, he grew old.

Do you mean to say that all of us will grow old?

But why?

Your Highness, all of us will grow old.

Chana, stop!

What is wrong with you?

What is wrong?

Please, Your Highness, don't touch him! Why, Chana?

What is wrong with him? He's sick, Your Highness. His blood is poisoned by the

plague. There is nothing much you can do. Please don't touch him.

How unfortunate.

Why has this happened to him?

It can happen to anyone in this world.

No one can stop it. And it can happen at any time.

Your Highness, look! Over there! Shut up!

Why is that man lying there so still?

And why are those people crying?

Why?

Those people are crying because that man is... dead.

Dead?

What does it mean to be dead?

Dead means you stop living. And people cry when you're dead.

Why?

Only the loved ones, they cry because they won't see him again.

Will I die too?

Your Highness, death is common.

Everyone will die. You, me, King... Jonah, I've seen enough.

Let's head back to the palace.

As you command, your highness.

Shana, that man over there, he looks different.

Who is that?

That man? Well, he's an ascetic.

An ascetic?

What is that?

He's one who's renounced the world.

Renounced the world?

Why?

Your Highness, it's getting late. Why has he renounced the world?

He's seeking a solution to the meaning of life.

And how does he do that?

He lives a simple, disciplined life. He begs for his daily meal.

He lives in a temple or cave.

Your Highness, we must head back to the palace before the guards find out that

you're missing.

He looks so calm.

All of us will grow old, sick.

Death is coming.

Everyone will die. You, me, the king. No.

No. Why?

Why should we die?

He is one who has renounced the world.

He's seeking a solution to the meaning of life.

Meaning of life.

Meaning of life. Yes.

I must find the answer to the meaning of life.

what is the point of living if we have to die one day there must be an end to

birth suffering and death your highness the princess has given birth to a baby

boy the king has arranged for a grand dinner to celebrate the birth of his

grandson an obstacle has been born to me

My dear Yasodhara, the time has come for me to leave you and our son.

I am to assume a more important and responsible role.

My compassion for those who suffer is of greater concern, since both of you have

everything in abundance.

I leave you now.

Farewell.

I've saddled Kandaka, your favorite horse, your highness, but I beg you...

Change your mind.

Chana, let us leave before it's too late.

Yes, your highness. But please, let me follow you to the bank of the river

Anoma.

Chana, my friend, the moment has come for me to say goodbye to you.

and my friendly Kintaka.

Please take these clothes, ornaments, my hair and my sword, and give them to my

father.

Tell him that I have put on an ascetic's attire.

From this very moment I shall use all my time and effort for the attainment of

enlightenment.

I will not look back until I have achieved my noble aim.

Please tell my wife and my foster mother that I am in good health.

There is no need to search for me.

At the appropriate time, I shall return.

Kandana, look over there.

Isn't that our Prince Siddhartha?

Yes, it is.

He must have left the palace as I predicted.

Why don't we join him, Kondana?

Why not?

We can attend to all his needs, clean, sweep and do all his other work until he

realizes the supreme truth.

Kondana, I am concerned.

Six years have gone by.

He has eaten very little.

And look at his body.

If he goes on like this, he will surely die.

What is this?

I just saw the shining pebbles in clear water.

And now I don't.

Oh, yes.

Now I see the shining pebbles.

Perhaps if I don't exert myself too much, I will discover the truth.

Sir, this is very strange.

I bring my cattle to cross this river almost every day.

I have no problems in getting them across, but today they refuse to cross.

They look at you in great wonder.

Sir, who are you? Where do you come from?

Boy, I am a seeker of the truth, an ascetic.

I come from afar.

I shall meditate here under the sal tree.

Here? But sir, this place is dangerous at dusk. Don't worry, boy.

No one knows that I am living here.

Sir? My master is a nobleman. Why don't you stay with us? No, boy.

Say nothing about me.

No one should know that I am living here.

As you wish, sir.

But what about your food?

For nearly six years, Siddhartha has been performing austerities without

being able to attain the truth.

And now, he has resumed begging for food. I am confused.

Master, what is the meaning of this?

Have you given up the struggle?

Why are you eating?

Friends, we must now avoid all extremes.

Avoid all extremes?

But why should we do that?

Just as the muddy water hides the shining pebbles, I have realized that

physical and mental tortures have weakened my body and prevented my mind

from understanding the truth.

So what are we to do now?

We shall take a little food to sustain the body.

It is conducive to realizing the truth.

Are you sure, Master?

First you tell us to go through extremes.

Now you tell us to take the middle path.

Enough!

You must have given up your struggle and now you're making excuses.

If you cannot guide us, we'll look for someone else. Let us leave.

Friends, friends, please listen to me. Come back.

Puna, go clean the foot of the banyan tree and spread some white sand for my

offering. Yes, my lady, right away.

tree god yes my lady the tree god living in the tree and has come to accept the

offering come my lady see for yourself

venerable

sir my name is sajata i am the village chief's daughter my maid puna believes

you are the tree god no i'm not the tree god who are you merely a seeker of the

truth. Sir, as a young girl, I once made a vow that I would make yearly offerings

at this tree if I got a husband of equal status, and if my firstborn was a son.

My wish has been fulfilled.

Please accept this offering.

May you be successful in fulfilling your wishes, as I've been.

If I am to succeed in becoming a Buddha today, let this bowl float upstream.

But if not, let it float downstream.

Good sir What do you hope to achieve with all this effort in striving?

You are a prince Return to your palace and lead a life of luxury.

I Will not leave this place until I have attained the highest wisdom that leads

to everlasting happiness So be it you foolish one

my charming daughters I have a simple task for you.

Seduce that man.

You have failed.

Now I summon the nine winds of chaos.

Rise, oh nine storms of darkness.

Strike, oh nine bolts of fire.

And destroy that fool!

Even the nine storms of darkness could not drive him from his seat.

I have lost!

The darkness of ignorance has been dispelled, and the light of knowledge

has arisen.

I have finally discovered the truth.

The end of birth, old age, sickness and death.

It was a hard day at the fair.

Not a single customer.

I want to sit somewhere here.

Yes, yes. I too am tired and hungry.

Let's have some food.

Hey! Look over there.

Someone is sitting under the tree.

Possible customer.

I don't think he has any money, Babu.

But there is something special about him.

Dear sir, we are from Ukkala.

We are very tired.

Can we rest here?

Yes, you may.

Please sir, accept our rice cake and honey.

Sir. Please tell us what doctrine do you profess?

No God can be called the creator All phenomena are dependent on conditions

of cause and effect or action and reaction Ignorance is the root of all

evil and the cause of birth suffering and death When ignorance is

destroyed and replaced with wisdom one realizes Nirvana

No teacher have I and equal to me there is none.

Venerable sir, please include us as your followers in the Buddha and Dhamma.

Sir, before we leave, can we ask for some object of worship?

Thank you, Venerable sir.

We will take your hair back to Ukkala.

And enshrine it in a stupa.

Look! Is that Siddhartha?

Look at him!

He's now well fed and fair. I think he's on his way to his father's kingdom.

To wear the royal crown.

No, he seems to be coming this way. Enough!

We should not get up to welcome him.

There is something special about him.

Listen, friends.

I have found the way to overcome old age, sickness, and death.

Venerable sir, how did you do it?

Please tell us.

Let me teach you.

And if you listen, learn, and practice as I tell you, very soon you will know

for yourselves, not in some future life, but here and now in this present

lifetime, that what I say is true.

Please teach us.

Avoid all extremes.

The extremes of pleasure and the extremes of self-mortification.

Practice the middle path.

Venerable sir, what is the middle path?

It is the noble eightfold path, which consists of perfect understanding,

perfect thought, perfect speech, perfect action,

perfect livelihood.

Perfect effort, perfect mindfulness, perfect concentration.

Preach the Dhamma, excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and

excellent in the end.

Proclaim the holy life in all its fullness and purity.

Go forth and journey from place to place for the happiness, compassion, benefit,

and welfare of all.

But two disciples should not travel together.

Oh, venerable sir, please.

Can I ask you a question?

Dear sir, what is your question?

Calm and serene are your features.

For whose sake have you retired from this world?

For my great teacher.

Who is your teacher?

What doctrine do you profess?

There is a cause for everything.

If there is no cause, there is no result.

Thus teaches the great Buddha.

Please.

Take me to your teacher.

Believe nothing.

Belief is a confession of ignorance.

Therefore, do not even believe what I tell you.

All I can do is to teach you to enlighten yourself.

Your first duty is to abolish your own ignorance, and only you yourself can do

this. Reverend sir, we would like to be admitted to your order.

Come, oh monks.

Lead the holy life to end all suffering.

Monks, meet our two friends, Moggallana and Sariputta.

They will become my chief disciples.

Help me, lord. Please, calm down.

I've been searching for you for days.

Help me. What is your problem?

Lord, my three bulls.

The brahmin has taken my three bulls. I am helpless without them. What shall I

do? Didn't you complain to the king's officers and try to get them back?

Lord, of what use is it?

Brahmins have the right to take away all animals belonging to farmers like me for

sacrifices. I shall get your cattle back.

Take me to the Brahmin.

I shall take you to his temple, Lord.

You wretched monk!

This is not a place for an outcast!

Do you know, Brahman, what an outcast is?

Or the things that make an outcast?

No, indeed, ascetic. I do not know what an outcast is.

Hear then, Brahman. Remember.

By birth is not one an outcast.

By birth is not one a Brahman.

By deeds is one an outcast.

By deeds is one a Brahman.

You have shown me the light amidst the darkness.

Excellent, Lord, excellent.

I beg you, please take this seat.

Brahman, how much are you worth?

Lord, it is not possible to estimate. I have enormous wealth.

Let us estimate it this way.

How many times the number of animals tied in this sacrificial ground are you

worth?

Lord, a hundred thousand times over.

Then I may be worth even more. Oh, truly so, Lord.

Brahman, free all these poor animals.

Tie me to a post and offer my blood to the gods. Lord, animals killed in the

sacrifice go to heaven after death.

Do you conduct sacrifice to send animals to heaven or to receive blessings? Lord,

it is for both reasons.

Do you have any children? Yes, Lord.

a son and a daughter. Do you wish to send them to heaven? Oh, yes, Lord.

If that is so, Brahman, why don't you tie your children to the posts and cut

their heads off? Lord, what are you saying?

Learn it, Brahman.

Who are the people that proclaim the excellence of making sacrifices?

They are the priests who have made it their profession to conduct them.

You follow them blindly.

Then, Lord, what is the best offering I can make to the gods?

Let loose all these poor animals.

Lord, I can do it.

But I shall not have a place in Brahmin society.

Brahmin, when you show mercy to those poor animals, men of good will are sure

to respect you.

You will receive the blessings of the gods.

Lord, I shall let loose all the animals.

It is true what they say of him. He is a divine being.

Venerable sir, who is he?

He is the Buddha, creator of the unarisen way, the producer of the

unproduced way, the proclaimer of the unproclaimed way, the knower of the way,

the beholder of the way.

Venerable sir, I have a message from the palace.

Your father, King Suddhodana, wishes to see you.

Yes, O monks.

Let us prepare for our journey to Kapilavatam.

Devadatta, is everything ready as I ordered to welcome my son?

Yes, your majesty.

We've prepared Siddhartha's favorite dishes.

Your majesty, your majesty, your son is here.

Siddhartha is here.

Where, where is he?

Your majesty, he's in the street.

In the street?

What is he doing there?

He's begging for food.

What? The king has prepared all his favorite dishes, but he'd rather beg?

How embarrassing.

Saddle my horses at once.

Siddhartha, my son, is it proper for you, who used

to travel in golden chariots to beg food in this very city, why do you put me

to shame?

Oh, great king, I am not putting you to shame.

I am following the custom of my lineage.

But ours is the warrior lineage, and not a single warrior has ever gone begging

for food.

The royal lineage is yours, Devadatta.

Mine is the Buddha lineage.

It is the custom of my lineage for ages to receive food from house to house. Ah,

what kind of lineage is that that goes begging for food from house to house

dressed in that robe?

You left your wife and your only son six years ago for these?

There is nothing special about the prince!

We've all been tricked!

What?

You are very fortunate.

A great and noble son will be born to you.

He will be a Buddha.

My son, you have made me realize the truth.

Three times you have shown your oneness to me.

But I have been a fool.

Please, forgive me.

Venerable sir, please let me serve you.

I wish to become a monk.

Siddhartha!

Venerable sir, I am ashamed of what I said.

Forgive me too.

Please let me serve you and together with Prince Ananda, we will spread your

teachings.

Venerable sir, when Yasodhara heard that you wore yellow robes,

she too did the same.

When she heard of you having one meal a day, she too

took one meal.

When she knew that you had given up sleeping on a bed, she slept

on the ground.

When you entered upon the religious life, other kings proposed to her, but

she refused them all.

Great king, not only in this birth, but also in previous births,

she stood by me and was devoted and faithful to me.

Yesodara, you have endured the separation with great courage.

This gave me the encouragement to attain Buddhahood.

Now, it is my duty to spread the Dhamma for the good of the many and for the

happiness of the many.

I'm proud of you, Venerable Sir.

May your mission be a success and may the Dhamma spread far and wide.

Rahula, my son, that golden-colored monk is your father.

He has lots of treasures. Go up to him and ask him for your share.

Oh, father, even your shadow is pleasing to me. Mother asked me to collect my

treasures from you.

Son, I have no material treasures any longer.

But if you like, I will give you the spiritual treasures.

Sariputta, ordain Rahula with the treasures of the triple gem.

What? How can he do that?

What have you done?

I am deeply grieved by the unexpected ordination of my grandson Rahula.

Since you left the palace, I have grown very fond of him.

It makes me happy watching him play. He comforts me at moments when I miss you.

But now it is too late.

Will you grant me a request?

Yes, great king. I would like to request that the noble ones should not confer

ordination on a son without the permission of his parents.

Yes. I shall grant your request and make it a Venaya rule.

Lord? Yes, Ananda?

What is it?

Are women capable of understanding the Buddha's teachings?

Yes, Ananda. And attaining sainthood?

Women are capable.

Lord, Lady Gautami has been of great service to you.

She raised you, nourished you, and was a mother to you when the queen passed

away. You were then only seven days old.

Yes, I'm aware of that.

Lord, Lady Gautami, with many other women, are standing outside this hall.

Please allow them to enter your order as nuns and follow your doctrine and

discipline.

Ananda, if Gotami and her friends accept the eight conditions, let that be the

form of ordination.

Yes, my lord, I was told you wanted to see me.

Yes. Please come in, Devadatta.

My disciples listen to my advice.

They observe my rules of discipline.

But Devadatta, I have been told that you misguide them by getting the group

behind you.

Are you trying to break away from me by creating a schism in the Sangha?

This is a grievous offense.

Lord?

We are suffering from admitting vulgar and despicable scavengers, murderers,

criminals, and womanizers into our order.

What do you propose?

Lord, I propose that monks and nuns should live in forest dwellings. I also

propose that all monks and nuns should beg for alms, should wear robes made

from castaway clothes.

All monks and nuns should meditate in the forest and refrain from eating meat.

Lord, only when every member of the Sangha follow these rules can they be

disciplined. Devadatta.

After your ordination, did you ever live in the forest?

No, sir.

Have you ever worn robes made from castaway clothes? No, sir.

Have you refrained from eating meat? No, sir, but I have meditated in the forest,

and I have gone begging for alms. Devadatta, you have not even followed

three of the five conditions you have proclaimed.

Think.

Is it right to proclaim those conditions for my disciples?

There are many monks who approve of my proposals.

Devadatta, do not divide the community of monks.

If you disagree with my code of discipline, you are free to leave.

I will go.

I will go with the many monks who respect me and are attached to me.

If your thoughts are pure, the results of your actions will be good.

If your thoughts are impure, the results of your actions will be bad.

Anyone is free to come to me or to leave me, just as they wish.

But Devadatta, be mindful of your actions.

Ananda, I wish to be away from everyone for a while.

Lord, I have never questioned your decision.

But if you have to go, where would you live?

I will live alone in the forest. Lord, there are wild beasts there.

There will be no danger from wild beasts.

I'll find a suitable place and live there eating fruit.

Don't be moved by insults.

Live according to my tenets.

After three months, you can come to me.

Who is the putter?

Venerable sir!

Come, Ananda, come.

Lord, it is because of this good parrot that I found you.

Otherwise I would have been lost in the forest.

Ananda, this is one of my true friends.

Lord, I have never seen such wonders.

I cannot believe my eyes.

The animals of the forest are so devoted.

Ananda, animals living in the forest are no different from other animals.

Yet, Ananda, they are now tamer and more devoted than other wild animals.

To me, the company of such good friends is pleasing, and so is my company to

them. Lord, during the first month of your stay here, people showed a

preference towards the monk Devadatta and his followers.

They thought we were not pious.

However, a month later, people began to hate their vulgar behavior.

They stoned and banished Devadatta and his followers from the village.

Now the people speak well of our disciplined ways.

They invite us to their homes and eagerly fill our bowls.

They ask for you each day.

Ananda, did I not tell you?

It's only for a short time that the truth can be concealed by the untruth.

If our mode of behavior is correct, we cannot err.

Because our weapon is the truth.

Ananda, I shall return.

Great King Pasenadi is here to see you.

Venerable sir, it is indeed an honor to see you. I have heard so much about you.

Please, Lord, I seek your blessing.

Great King. Lord, I have 500 horsemen, all heavily armed, waiting outside.

We are determined to succeed or die in our attempt.

And what is this mission?

To kill the evil Angulimala.

He has killed so many people. He is a menace. I seek the Lord's blessing that

we may succeed.

But Great King Pasenadi, if you should find Angulimala living a holy life,

abjuring violence and other evils,

What would you do?

In that case, Lord, I will revere him and provide him with all his

requirements. Well then, Great King, here is Angulimala.

Fear not, Great King.

There is no need to be alarmed anymore.

Wonderful, Lord, wonderful.

How did the Holy One manage to subdue the mighty and evil Angulimala?

The Buddha has changed me.

Please, please tell me how. I am Ahimsaka, the son of a royal priest.

I was sent to a famous school, won many prizes and mastered many subjects,

including the art of self-defense.

The other students were jealous of me.

They launched a scandal involving me and my teacher's family.

My teacher became suspicious.

and finally was hostile towards me upon completion of my education my teacher

demanded a strange gift a garland of a thousand fingers is your tuition fee

ahimsaka sir i come from a family committed to the practice of non

-violence why my very name ahimsaka means the harmless one

please sir please change your demand no

a thousand fingers i suddenly felt a grim determination to meet the challenge

i found a cave high in the mountain range near the forest i began living on

the raw flesh of wild animals and acquired a savage mind i would swoop

down upon any traveller on the highway cutting off a finger i would hang the

victim's body on a tree and wait for others to come

Soon, I became known as Angulimala, the weaver of the finger garland.

When the roads became deserted, I terrorized the villages and the towns.

At last, I had a garland of 999 fingers.

One more finger was all I needed.

Then, one day, I spotted an old woman.

I dashed towards her.

But alas, the old woman was none other than my mother.

I hesitated.

Then I decided to kill her.

Then suddenly, I saw him.

He was walking with a slow, majestic gait along the highway.

I changed my mind and dashed in pursuit of him.

But something amazing happened.

I, who can overtake a galloping horse or a deer, was unable to catch up with

this monk who was walking at a normal pace.

Stop! Stop, you monk!

I have stopped long ago.

It is you, Angulimala, who should stop.

Monk, even though you are still walking, you say you have stopped.

And though I have stopped, you say I have not?

O monk, what is the meaning of this?

Bangulimala, I have stopped forever, having given up violence against all

creatures.

But you act violently towards all.

So I say, I have stopped, and you have not.

Acquiring more and more defilements through evil deeds will only result in

endless suffering.

By eradicating all defilements, one attains Nibbana, and there will be no

more rebirth.

Oh Lord, what have I done?

What have I become?

I have caused so much suffering.

You have made me realize my evil deeds.

Please, accept me as your disciple.

Oh, venerable sir, please accept my offer of robes, food,

lodging, and medicine.

You're generous, great king.

Thank you, but I have everything I need here.

that monk.

Isn't that Angulimala?

Yes, he is. That terrible mudra.

Don't give him any food.

You mudra. Yes. You are not a monk. Please, sir.

Please, sir. No.

Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Look at me.

Look at me.

I'm now a monk.

But why do they do this to me?

Angulimala.

Previously, when you killed people, did you know that it was wrong?

Oh, my lord.

Then their actions, too, were based on ignorance.

Yes, my lord.

Now is the time for me to show compassion towards them.

Where is he?

Who is this doctor?

He is my teacher.

Please calm down while I speak to him.

Lord, while begging for alms this morning, I met this woman with a dead

child. She was asking for medicine to cure her son.

Oh, Lord and Master, please give me some medicine that will cure my boy.

What is your name and what happened to your son?

My name is Kizakotami.

My only son had fever and died suddenly.

Please, Lord, you must help me. Give me the medicine. I can pay you in gold. My

husband is very rich.

I will give you the medicine.

But first, you must get me something. What is it, Lord? Tell me, please.

Go and fetch me some mustard seeds.

Mustard seeds?

Is that all?

Yes. But remember, the mustard seeds must be from a house where there has

been no death.

I shall leave now to get it, my Lord.

What? Mustard seed? You can take as much as you want, but my father passed away

last month.

My sister died last week.

Nothing is permanent.

There is birth and death, growth and decay, combination and separation.

The glory of the world is like a flower.

It stands in full bloom in the morning and fades in the heat of the day.

Lord?

Now I realize that death is common to all.

Remember, Kisakotomi.

One day, we must all let go of the things we love.

Madam, is there something wrong?

I don't feel well.

I feel as if I am a prisoner and I wish to be free.

Prisoner?

Madam, you are the loveliest and wealthiest of all the women in this

kingdom. You know that men seek your company for your wit and your charm, not

just for the joy of your body.

I know all that.

But I sometimes wonder if being an ordinary wife with a difficult husband

and sickly children is not to be envied. What are you saying, madam?

The ordinary woman is first a slave in her father's house.

Then she is a slave in her husband's house.

But you, you are free, madam. Am I?

Then there must be something else.

Something that beauty and wealth, husband and children cannot bring.

Madam. Oh, I would give up all that I possess to find that freedom.

Maybe you can find that freedom that you seek.

What do you mean?

Well, madam, they say he has all the answers.

Who?

The Buddha.

The Buddha?

Yes, I have heard of him. Well.

He is staying with some of his monks in your grounds. Here?

In my grounds?

Then I must see him immediately.

But madam, he's an old man.

Folks say he's not interested in beauty and charm of women.

I know that.

Don't you understand that beauty and charm will fade?

There must be something else to put her.

Must know. I must find out. Get my carriage ready at once.

The craving of the person, addicted to careless living, grows like a creeper.

He jumps from one life to another like a monkey, swinging from tree to tree,

looking for fruit in the forest.

Venerable Master, I am Ambapali Akotisen.

I have tasted the full sensual pleasures of this world.

And it has brought me only pain, longing, frustrations, and emptiness.

Dear child, you must control your body and your mind.

And how do I do that, master?

Give up attachment, lust, craving, and all evil deeds.

Cultivate good deeds, speech, and thoughts. Yes, my lord. I will do as you

ask. I will cultivate good deeds from now on.

May I invite you and your monks to have your meals at my house?

As you wish, my child.

But, Lord, you are not serious.

You are a prince like us.

How can you dine with a courtesan?

You must dine with us. Oh, forgive me, Lord. I do understand if you cannot dine

with me.

Within the Dharma, there is neither prince nor courtesan.

Tomorrow, We shall take our meals at Amber Polly's house. Oh, thank you.

Thank you, Lord.

O monks, listen very carefully.

At the end of three months, I will pass away.

What? Pass away? For the good,

the welfare, and the happiness of gods and men.

Let the Lord live out his life.

Enough, Ananda.

Do not ask that of me now.

The time to ask that has gone by.

But what are we to do when you are gone?

Monks, the Dharma I have taught has no secret versions.

I am not a teacher with a closed fist.

Be diligent, mindful, and virtuous.

With well-directed thoughts, guard your mind.

He who lives heedful in this Dharma will escape life's wanderings and put an end

to suffering.

I will rest here under these sal trees. Look! The twin sal trees are covered

with blossoms, though it is not the season. How wonderful!

Look! Mandarava flowers and sandalwood powder fall from the sky.

Monks, this is not how a perfect one is honored, respected,

revered, or venerated.

Sir, I would like to speak to the Buddha.

Enough, friend Subada.

Do not worry the accomplished one.

He is very tired and weary.

Ananda, do not prevent Subada.

Let Subada speak.

I have some doubts, venerable sir.

And what are they, Subada?

Lord, there are good, well-known followers of other religions.

They too try to show superiority of their respective religions.

That is true.

If that is true, my lord, how can we find a true and proper religion?

Osubada, any form of religion is proper if it contains the Noble

Eightfold Path.

This is a universal truth.

It is in the nature of all formations to dissolve.

attain perfection through diligence.

Kusalat upasampadahupi sajit

palyodapanam etan buddhah