Phantom City – The Buddhist Parable
Author: Manish “Pakhi”
Introduction: The Parable of the Phantom city appears in chapter
7 of Lotus Sutra. The story of the imaginary or phantom city describes a
caravan of travelers who spent several days traveling through the desert in
search of a magnificent treasure. The caravan had a knowledgeable leader who
noticed the participants were worn out and losing interest in their mission.
Many travelers lacked the stamina to continue after a protracted and perilous
voyage, and many yearned to turn around and return home.
The astute leader (Buddha) realized this and decided he needed to find a means to cheer them up. He informed them that a city was soon ahead, where they could find a place to rest and refresh themselves, in order to give them hope and inspiration to go on. This provided the tired group with some relief. The Buddha then explains that Buddhahood is the true value and the ultimate aim, while the phantom city symbolizes the provisional teachings which the Buddha preached only to lead the way to the true enlightenment.
(Scene opens, narrator is standing / seating on right facing
the audience)
NARRATOR
Narrator 1:
Good Morning dear friends...
We bring to you today...
a Buddhist fable very old...
But the moral of this story...
is just as good as gold!
AMBIENCE
Background
Slide: desert, climb, sun, sweltering,
Music:
sad, weary
NARRATOR
Narrator
2: This is the Parable of the Phantom city... where a leader is guiding a
caravan of five travelers to the wonderful land of treasures. But the path to
the mighty land is not easy... The travelers and the leader are undertaking a
long and hazardous journey through a scorching desert... The heat, sweat, grime
and dust... make the traveler’s feet turn to rust. Disheartened and weary, they
tell the leader that they can’t go much ahead really!
ENACTMENT
Traveller1:
Oh,
I can't walk any more. I need some rest badly,
There
is no shade, no water and No respite sadly.
Traveler
2:
I
am feeling so sick, I am old and weak,
I
shall never find the treasure, I shall never reach the peak
Traveller3:
All
this long, it was all in vain,
Let's
go back, let's go back, I am going insane.
NARRATOR
Narrator 3:
Oh!
The fundamental darkness inherent in all...
Is surely taking its toll
The determination of the travelers’ falls …
And enthusiasm stalls.
With their patience lost...
The travelers also find perseverance disappearing fast.
AMBIENCE
Background
recital:
Who
awaits u there, traveler,
what
will you find,
Look
back and think just once,
All
that you have left behind
ENACTMENT
Traveler
4:
There
is no treasure land, that we can ever reach,
We
cannot endure anymore what you teach,
Traveler
5:
Oh
Great Leader, I beg of you,
Please
tell us what do we do?
NARRATOR
Narrator
4: Now while the travelers are the voice hearers, cause awakened Bodhisattvas
who seem to have become complacent; their leader is the Buddha himself... The
Buddha’s mission is to make them persevere and guide them to the land of
treasures or what you may also call the land of unsurpassed enlightenment or
Buddhahood... So, in the middle of the vast desert... the guide using his
transcendental powers, conjures up a mythical land so pretty... that the five travelers
at once forget all their self-pity...
AMBIENCE
Background Slide: Palace,
Music:
happy, celebratory
Kids
with pom pom
Background
Recital:
Welcome
to the city of dreams,
You
are worthy to be here,
Come,
come and please come over,
This
place is for you; my dear,
NARRATOR
Narrator
5: In the parable, the mythical phantom city in the middle of the scorching
desert is actually symbolic of the illusions of thought and earthly desires
that one faces in day to day life... The guide then urges the travelers to
enter the city... and enjoy peace, tranquility and happiness in plenty...
ENACTMENT
Leader:
“You are all so learned, You are all so wise,
Giving
away your doubts, you must rise.
The
road is long, the journey is tough,
It
is'nt easy, the patch is rough,
The
treasure land is not far, it is near in sight,
Can't
you hear the bells and see that palace of great height?”
AMBIENCE
REPEAT: Background Slide: Palace
Music:
happy, celebratory
Kids
with pom pom
Background
Recital:
Welcome
to the city of dreams,
You
are worthy to be here,
Come,
come and pls come over,
This
place is for you my dear,
ENACTMENT
Leader:
This is the phantom city,
city
of dreams,
You
have reached where you wanted to,
by
all means,
Take
it easy, now and here,
in
this great land,
Fun,
food and happiness
all
so close at hand.
The
city of dreams will fill your senses and revive your soul,
Isn’t
this what you wanted, wasn’t this your goal?
Expedient
as it is to celebrate now,
Time
to appreciate, encourage and take a new vow
NARRATOR
Narrator 6:
The travelers are ecstatic...
The phantom city is indeed enigmatic
They are happy and gay...
Weren’t earthly pleasures the real way?
AMBIENCE
Background Slide: Buffet, food, beverages
Gaiety, fun and dancing all around
ENACTMENT
Traveler
1: Behold, I have never seen such delicacies before,
Traveler
2: The more I eat, I yearn for more...
traveler
3: The cool breeze blows away all my pain, I m feeling sleepy ready to snore...
Traveler4:
Let's go to that side, someone singing out there,
let's
hear this wonderful symphony, that fills the air...
AMBIENCE
Background Slide:
Music background
CULTURAL
PRESENTATION
SONG
ENACTMENT
Traveler 5:
Oh,
I can't tell this, This song was so great,
what
more is there to see, I can't wait...
NARRATOR
Narrator 7:
Having rested their exhausted bodies and recouped some of their shine..
The travelers or Bodhisattvas are now on cloud nine.
They feel in the pink of health...
As
though their just received enormous wealth!
ENACTMENT
Traveler
1: Delighted I feel,
Traveler
2: Overjoyed I feel,
Traveler
3: Rejuvenated I feel,
Traveler
4: I am on cloud nine
Traveler
5: Phantom city is MINE!!!
CULTURAL
PRESENTATION
FAN
DANCE
Background Slide:
Fan dance slide
NARRATOR
Narrator 8:
But the Phantom city was but an illusion...
And when it disappears, there is bound to be delusion
The travelers think that the pleasures of the Phantom city are enlightenment...but the land of treasures that awaits is one of unsurpassed fulfilment... The Leader being a Buddha has a mission to lead the travelers to true, unending happiness. And when he finds the traveler’s batteries recharged...
The leader waves his magic wand....
And begins turning the phantom city back to sand.
ENACTMENT
Traveler
1: Behold, this palace is dissolving into thin air,
Traveler
2: The food, the music and the brightly-dressed kids...nothing is there,
Traveler
3: Where is everything vanishing, where??
Traveler
4: Leader, please tell us what is real, what is true,
Only your profound wisdom can give us some clue.
Leader:
I conjured up this palace to give you rest,
But
the real treasure is what lies next,
The
fundamental darkness manifests as phantom city,
Illusions
sway your minds, what a pity,
The
true enlightenment and Phantom city,
Are but one,
Boundless joy, compassion and courage,
Is
Buddha’s wisdom
So
forge ahead with a deep, mission and Vow,
Phantom
city and treasure land are one,
Here
and now.
AMBIENCE
When
the journey resumes ... symphony plays with increasing crescendo and the travelers
resume the journey with enthusiasm and indestructible joy.
ENACTMENT
The
five travelers hold the teachers’ hands and walk forth with courage and
expectation in their eyes...
NARRATOR
Narrator
9:
And so the Parable of the phantom city comes to an end...
but not before having a
deep message sent...
Travelers
may feel that phantom cities or earthly desires are the "means" to
reach the treasure land or Buddhahood which is the "End"...
But
the Dai Shonin believed differently... and he said fervently...
“The
Phantom city and treasure land are in fact inseparable...
The
nine worlds are all phantom cities themselves... and the treasure land or
Buddhahood is truly the higher self.
Phantom city and treasure land in fact are identical, the Dai Shonin said to lure... and the word “identical” here means "Nam-Myo-ho-Renge-Kyo"...
Keep
conquering the phantom cities, we say... and soon you’ll find yourselves in
treasure land, the Buddha way.
Every target achieved is life in phantom city... and every moment in that phantom city revelry... is a slice out of the treasure land corollary.
Earthly
desires indeed are enlightenment... but only when with wisdom and compassion
lent...
Let’s
work hard in bringing forth our innate Buddha nature ... that’s when Phantom
city and Treasure land will become one in stature.
To
attain enlightenment is the mission... and the Parable of the phantom city
teaches a deep & valuable lesson.
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