英語訳
【Upper Section】
Provided by German Emelka Film Company
1926 Super-production
Biography of Buddha Film
"Light of Asia" Ten Reels in Total
Leading Actors: Himanshu Rai and Seeta Devi
Advisor: Indian Great Eastern Corporation
Director: Rabindranath Tagore
Original Story: Sir Edwin Arnold
Screenplay: Niranjan Pal
Director: Franz Osten
Assistant Director: Bertl Schultes
Cinematography: Willy Kiermeier
Cinematography: Josef Wirsching
Costume Design: Chhail Roy
-(Cast)-
King Shuddhodana (King Śuddhodana)……Sarada Ukil
Queen Maya (Queen Māyā)……Rani Bala
Prince Gotama Siddhartha (Gautama Siddhartha) (Śākyamuni Buddha)……Himanshu Rai
His consort Gopa Yashodhara (Gopā Yaśodharā)……Seeta Devi
Her father King Dandapani……Yagit Mathur
Hermit Asita (Asita)……Sunit Mittel
Devadatta (Devadatta)……Prohlad Kumar
Attendant Channa (Channa)……Sundar Rayam
Wet nurse Chitra Norini Kumari
Herald………Sunil Premi
Messenger One……Chhail Pillay
Messenger Two……Ashoke Bose
Elder Minister…………Susel Ghose
Herald………Rauen Dutt
Storytelling lowly man…………Haren Sen
(Maidservants, dream interpreters, attendants, monks, priests, the noble horse Kanthaka)
Our thoughts turn to three thousand years ago, in the land where the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range extend long below the upper reaches of the Ganges River in India, where there lived the great King Shuddhodana (King Śuddhodana), whose dominion was praised by all neighboring lands. Though his marital bond with Queen Maya (Queen Māyā) was not shallow, regrettably, even after many long years, there was no heir prince, and the queen was greatly troubled in heart, while the great king was constantly vexed. One day, several citizens selected from among the people came before the great king and, because there was no prince to succeed to the throne, recommended that he take concubines. The decisive king commanded that a sacred elephant should choose his successor. Thus, on the appointed day of the full moon, the sacred elephant, beautifully adorned and decorated, was solemnly led out from the castle gates, and mothers hoping that this boundless fortune would be bestowed upon their children gathered in crowds throughout every corner of the streets.
Here there was a man called the hermit Asita. He constantly used mystical arts and could well predict the coming of great events. On this day, coming from nowhere like the wind, he shouted loudly saying, "Listen, all of you! 'Those who are born return to death, and those who have died return to life.' All should stand and prepare!" Just then, the sacred elephant, which was about to lift up a child with its trunk at one corner of the street, as if understanding these words, put the child back on the road and entered serenely through the castle gates while the crowd looked on in amazement.
On this very day, Queen Maya suddenly felt something strange throughout her body. Thus, on April 8th, when the queen went for a walk in the Lumbini Garden accompanied by palace ladies, under the fully blooming flowers of the Ashoka tree, suddenly the great sage of all ages was born. The king rejoiced greatly and named him Gotama Siddhartha (Gautama Siddhartha). However, Queen Maya was destined to be the mother who would bear only the Buddha, and having witnessed the joy of the prince's birth, she departed this world all too briefly. Thus, with the king's deep compassion, eighteen years passed as spring and autumn accumulated, and the prince grew healthy in both body and mind, participating for the first time in a hunting gathering. When the prince saw an antelope that had fallen behind while being driven by beaters and was finally killed by a hunting leopard, he was greatly dismayed, dismounted from his horse himself, and gently stroked the antelope, offering it deep comfort.
【Lower Section】
That night the great king had a strange dream and had it interpreted by a diviner. The diviner answered that if the prince were to learn of old age, sickness, death and such things, he would be moved by these and become a monk, so the father king took great care to have many beautiful maidens attend him on all sides, and song, dance, and music were performed day and evening. However, the questions about life that had begun to emerge in the prince's heart could not possibly be dispelled, and instead became the motivation for the prince's renunciation.
However, the time came when love also budded in the prince's heart. Through the deep consideration of the father king, when they together visited King Dandapani, and the prince met that divinely beautiful and graceful Princess Gopa Yashodhara (Gopā Yaśodharā), who was like a smiling lotus flower, he offered praise for women that had never before passed the prince's lips and sought her hand himself, so the princess too was deeply pleased. Seeing this situation, King Shuddhodana was greatly pleased in his heart and immediately asked King Dandapani for that princess for Prince Gotama.
However, since princes of neighboring countries also desired the beautiful princess, it came to pass that a competition was held there, and it was decided that whoever achieved victory in that martial arts contest would splendidly marry Princess Gopa. Among those princes was also Gotama's cousin Devadatta (Devadatta).
The prince was victorious, and here the crown of love was bestowed upon his head. Soon, through the great king's deep heart, a magnificent palace was built on the shining lake, and the two were made to live there. Thus the joyful life of the prince and Princess Gopa continued for a while, but in time the prince, wishing to know the world that unfolded beyond the castle walls, commanded his attendant Channa to leave the palace for sightseeing. Therefore the king sternly commanded that the disabled, elderly, sick and such should not show themselves in the streets the prince would visit. However, the prince saw these people with his own eyes on the road, and also eventually encountered those near death and those who had died, and here he deeply felt the impermanence of life in his heart, and from then on his melancholy and anguish only deepened. Finally he commanded his attendant Channa to lead out the white horse Kanthaka, mounted it, and departed from the palace that was like a golden prison. This was when the prince was twenty-nine years old. Along the way, the prince removed his jeweled crown, precious sword, and royal boots, comforted Channa, and sent him back to the great king together with Kanthaka.
Upon this news, the grief of the father king and Princess Gopa was beyond description. He immediately commanded that they search for him, but this ended in vain.
The prince sometimes sought food at humble homes, crossed mountains and valleys, sometimes pillowed his head on stones and made his bed of grass, fighting various austerities, and finally arrived at Bodh Gaya where under the Bodhi tree with great determination he sat in lotus position, and for forty days and nights immersed himself in meditation, contemplating life and seeking to fathom the path of liberation. Here various obstructing demons appeared, sometimes taking the form of beautiful women, sometimes causing great winds and rains, trying to tempt the prince, but he repelled them all and paid them not the slightest attention. When the morning star appeared brilliantly at dawn, the prince finally achieved supreme enlightenment, his eyes became clear and bright, and he became the great Buddha "Light of Asia" shining through the ages.
Meanwhile, Princess Gopa, who had left the palace, asked every person she met about the prince's whereabouts for several years, and now completely worn away from her flower-like beauty, when she collapsed under a tree, the one who happened to come was none other than the prince whom the princess had hoped for day and night. Now kneeling before the Buddha who had attained enlightenment, she pleaded for compassion. The Buddha kindly instructed her and finally admitted her among his disciples.
In time, those who took refuge in the Buddha increased daily, and the Buddha also preached his dharma to all sentient beings without exception, and gradually people were led to the path of happiness and joy. Thus, though born as a prince, the teaching discovered through following all manner of patient suffering was transmitted to hundreds of millions of people and became the world's greatest religion.