This is a film script I wrote some while ago, called The Monk in His Madness. Here are the first few scenes.
INT. MONASTERY, A MONK’S CELL – NIGHT
In a dark cell in a monastery there is much commotion. Initially a
confused impression of intense activity: hands and legs moving at rapid
speed across the screen, but no sense to what is happening.
Gradually
we make out that SEVERAL MONKS are in the process of trying to restrain
A YOUNG MONK (TASHI) who seems to be in the middle of having AN
EPILEPTIC FIT. His body is convulsing in a tremendous way and the monks
around him are having a hard time trying to keep him in control. They
try to stuff his mouth, which is by now foaming at the sides, with cloth
so that he doesn’t swallow his own tongue, but without success. Some of
them are trying to shove a big iron key into his hand and make him
grasp it, but that endeavour is not succeeding either. Some are trying
to rub his feet with their hands but he is convulsing too much for them
to really do anything. The young monk’s eyeballs are rolling and he
almost looks like he will die.
A
flurry of activity in the corridor as well, lit by flaming torches at
the corners. MONKS are moving up and down the corridor, as if something
of great import were afoot.
INT. MONASTERY, ANOTHER CELL – NIGHT
SOME
MONKS are hunched together and whispering to each other among the
general hubbub that can be heard and felt around them. They look
semi-frightened and semi-conspiratorially at each other, as they feel
the full significance of what is going on.
INT. MONASTERY, THE YOUNG MONK’S CELL – NIGHT
The
young monk having a fit erupts in another violent seizure and almost
single-handedly throws off the monks trying to restrain him.
INT. MONASTERY, CORRIDOR – NIGHT
A
monk is seen hurrying, carrying a thick rope in his hand. Another is
seen with a heavy metal object in his hands. It is unclear what this
object is but it looks dangerous, like it could be used to subdue, or
even kill.
INT. MONASTERY, THE MASTER’S CELL – NIGHT
AN
OLD MONK with a wizened face is seen deep in meditation. His eyes are
closed in complete and utter serenity, seemingly oblivious to the
commotion that is making itself vaguely felt in the background.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP of the old monk’s face. It is as if he were having an especially deep experience tonight.
His
face is deeply-lined but in a way that is deeply indicative of
authority – spiritual authority. He is simply referred to as THE MASTER
in the monastery, and his face shows it.
INT. MONASTERY, DOOR OF THE MASTER’S CELL – NIGHT
Several
monks are hunched outside the Master’s door, terribly impatient to
apprise him of the happenings but not daring to disturb him. They
crouch, look at each other and wait.
INT. MONASTERY – NIGHT
HOLD:
A CANDLE is burning slowly. We stay uneasily, yet unflinchingly, on the
candle for a while. The wax is low and the candle is about to die in a
while.
INT. MONASTERY, THE YOUNG MONK’S CELL – NIGHT
A terrible cry emanates from the mouth of the young monk having the epileptic attack.
INT. MONASTERY, THE MASTER’S CELL – NIGHT
Simultaneous to the young monk’s terrible scream, the Master opens his eyes. They are burning, intense, yet clear.
INT. MONASTERY, THE YOUNG MONK’S CELL – NIGHT
The
young monk’s convulsions are already subsiding as the Master enters his
cell. As he comes in and looks at the young epileptic, his convulsions
die out completely and he collapses unconscious into the arms of those
surrounding him. The Master considers him silently for a moment more and
walks back out of the cell.
INT. MONASTERY – NIGHT
The candle is at the end of its tether. In another second, it extinguishes and there is darkness.
FADE IN:
EXT. THE MONASTERY HILL – EARLY MORNING
PRESENTATION
CREDITS ROLL as we obtain a view of the monastery from the outside. It
is perched on top of a hill, among a range of high-altitude mountains,
in the fashion of a typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh or
Spiti.
Its
extremely peaceful setting must be obvious, to contrast with all the
violence and disturbance that have gone before. It is morning and we
witness several peaceful, ordinary, daily events and activities that
typically populate any morning:
BIRDS have woken up and begin to fly out from their nests.
DEW gathered through the night is falling from the leaves of trees.
THE SUN is bursting all red and orange upon the land.
PRAYER FLAGS on a bridge across the river just below the monastery flutter peacefully in the morning wind.
CLOSE-UPS of the MASKS OF PROTECTIVE DEITIES that dot the roof of the monastery. We stay on each for a few beats each.
INT. MONASTERY, PRAYER HALL – EARLY MORNING
Finally,
as the presentation credit roll closes, we enter the prayer hall of the
monastery for the MORNING PRAYERS that are in progress.
The
prayers go on for a while as we pause and linger on some of the faces
that we saw during the commotion of last night. Notably absent though is
the young monk’s face. Finally we arrive at the Master’s face. He is
sitting in the middle of TWO OTHER OLD MONKS, who however pale beside
him in the matter of evident spiritual power and authority. However, the
Master is not the absolute head of the monastery. That is the monk
sitting to the right of him, THE ABBOT. The other old monk is also a
senior in the hierarchy. He is called GESHE NAMGYAL. Both these senior
monks refer to the Master as Geshe, while everyone else calls him
Master.
A
young monk comes and whispers something into the ear of the Abbot even
as the prayers are going on. The Abbot nods and looks at the Master.
INT. MONASTERY, THE ABBOT’S OFFICE – DAY
The Abbot is in conference in his office with the Master and Geshe Namgyal.
THE ABBOT
They say that Tashi is better. But he is still asleep.
Silence, as the morning light filters into the room through a window.
GESHE NAMGYAL
(murmuring)
This is the first time. … And with such violence, too!
ABBOT
(softly)
Not the first time, Geshe. Not the first time.
The
Master remains silent, of steady gaze, reacting neither to the news nor
the comment. The other two are evidently expecting some reaction or
word from him.
ABBOT (CONTD.)
Well,
I don’t know what to do now. I thought all this was over with him. In
any case, this can’t be good for the monastery. … What shall we do?
GESHE
The spirits have taken possession of him.
ABBOT
I’ve always had a suspicion of Tashi. I never was quite sure about him.
THE MASTER
Why? Because he’s the only one around who’s ever shown some tendency to true spirit?
This
is the first time that the Master has spoken and it has a shocking,
startling effect. His words carry all the more weight for that. He
speaks in a measured, forceful tone.
ABBOT
(slightly taken aback)
Why do you say that?
MASTER
Tashi
is the brightest of our lot, so it’s no wonder you’ve had your
suspicions of him. The wise are always suspicious, aren’t they? … It is
no wonder that this has happened to him.
GESHE
You mean you were expecting an attack? It was not fair of you not to warn us.
MASTER
I
mean simply, Venerable Geshe, that the brain works at an extraordinary
speed during an epileptic attack. Were you aware of that fact? Do you
not find it of any significance?
GESHE
You mean…
The Geshe is not sure what to say what he thinks the Master might mean.
ABBOT
He means that…
MASTER
I
mean that this was not an ordinary attack. It was not even the spirits.
It was something much more significant. That young man is going to
break down completely, and possibly die, or he may yet rise out of this
trouble. … It all depends on his soul.
GESHE
How can you say that, Venerable Geshe? You know ‘soul’ is not a concept for us Buddhists.
Even the Abbot is moved to a murmur of dissent.
ABBOT
Geshe Namgyal is right, Venerable Geshe…
MASTER
Well,
terms are not really important. Reality is. So I’ll let you call it
whatever you like. However, how do you intend to do about Tashi? I would
like some time with him alone as soon as he wakes up.
ABBOT
Of course. That was what I was going to suggest myself.
GESHE
Yes,
that is best. You are the one closest to him. He will confide in you. …
He must have a history of this which he has hidden from us till now,
when it has got too severe to hide any more.
The
Master looks at Geshe Namgyal and does not say anything in Tashi’s
defence, though it looks like he could. He moves to the open window and
contemplates the vista.
INT. MONASTERY, A CELL – DAY
The young monk who was having the seizure is TASHI, now lying peacefully asleep on a hard, bare bed.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP of Tashi’s peaceful features in repose.
Tashi
is a young man of about 25, extremely youthful and innocent in his
expression. With eyes closed he looks like an angel asleep.
PULL
OUT: To reveal FOUR OTHER YOUNG MONKS sitting around him. They, in
contrast, look frightened and still overcome from the events of last
night.
Faint
light is streaming in from a ventilator somewhere at the top. But there
is also a candle burning in a corner of the cell. This gives the
lighting of the cell an eerie feeling.
PUSH: In to Tashi’s sleeping features again.
CUT TO: The door of the cell opening abruptly. The Master enters.
CUT
TO: Tashi opening his eyes from sleep at precisely the very instant as
the Master enters. Tashi blinks, and blinks again, getting used to
ordinary reality once more.
PULL
OUT: To reveal the four young monks who have stood up abruptly at the
Master’s entrance. Wordlessly, they leave the cell, leaving the Master
and Tashi alone.
INSERT: Shots of the fierce, fearful-looking protective deities that we saw during the presentation credits roll.
CUT BACK: To the Master in the cell who has sat down beside Tashi by now.
Tashi
looks askance at the Master from his lying position for a few seconds.
Abruptly he tries to sit up, but is restrained gently by the Master. He
gratefully collapses back to his reclining position.
Silence as they consider each other for a few beats.
The
Master, when he speaks, is extremely abrupt and direct. Tashi is a
little hesitant to begin with, as if still finding his bearings in
ordinary conversation.
MASTER
I wish you to tell me: What did you see?
TASHI
(after an initial hesitation)
I cannot say, Master.
MASTER
Hmm. … Why did it come now, the attack?
TASHI
I think… I saw… someone… approaching.
MASTER
Someone is approaching us?
TASHI
Someone is coming. In white. He is dressed in white.
MASTER
The attack came upon you when you saw this person?
TASHI
I was dozing. … It was just after the evening meal. … I was not yet asleep. I was –
MASTER
Yes, dozing. Then?
TASHI
I began to dream, a little feverishly. I was cold and trembling.
As Tashi hesitates still.
MASTER
Be free, Tashi. Tell me what happened. It is important.
TASHI
I had visions. Perhaps you would call them hallucinations.
MASTER
I would not call them anything. I want to know what you saw.
Tashi speaks with a little more assurance now, his words coming in a flow for the first time.
TASHI
I
saw many things which moved too fast and which I did not understand.
But in the end I saw a man, tall, lean, dressed all in white. He was
tall and had yellow hair. However, his face was covered in black. I
mean, covered by a black cloth as by a mask. I felt – I felt as if I
knew him, but I did not really know who he was. I mean, I could not
exactly place him. But that I knew him – that feeling persisted in me
for a long time – a long time.
He
dreams again a little, as if he were seeing the man all over again in
his reverie. The Master stares impassively at him, patiently waiting.
TASHI (CONTD.)
Then, just as I had almost figured out who he was – I could almost say I knew
who he was, - lightning began to flash in my mind, bright white light
began to come down in waves, and suddenly I had no control over what was
happening to me any more.
MASTER
Where were you while this happened?
TASHI
(a little startled at this question)
What do you mean, Master?
MASTER
When you had the attack – where exactly were you?
TASHI
(hesitating again, understanding the full significance of the question)
I was in my body, Master. … I was not out of it, in the air, above it, like the other times…
MASTER
When was the last time that happened to you?
TASHI
Some nights ago. No, maybe a month ago, maybe more. As usual, when I was asleep in the night.
MASTER
And the last attack?
TASHI
The
last attack? I don’t even remember! It was so long ago, in childhood.
When I was a little child. They stopped after that. Never again since
then, Master! This is the first time! … I don’t know what to make of it.
The Master takes a deep breath and considers the situation.
MASTER
This
is going to be a testing time for you, Tashi. Things are going to get
difficult before they perhaps get easier. Do you understand me?
TASHI
(a little apprehensively)
Yes, I think, Master.
MASTER
(sighing)
Maybe someone really is coming. If this person in white really arrives, your attacks might go completely out of hand.
(murmurs to himself)
I wouldn’t know what to do then.
(recovering himself)
Come to me in my cell this evening at prayer-time if you’re feeling a bit stronger. I want to take you on a journey.
TASHI
I don’t think I can travel yet, Master.
MASTER
There
are many kinds of travel, Tashi. Each morning, and each evening, you
travel a bit further in your meditations, don’t you? And each night you
travel back to the godhead in your sleep. We travel all the time, Tashi,
only we don’t realise it. … We’ll see this evening if I can take you
somewhere I want you to go. Come. This evening.
TASHI
Yes, Master.
He involuntarily closes his eyes and falls back asleep.
CLOSE-UP of the Master’s face looking into Tashi’s sleeping face.
INT. MONASTERY, PRAYER HALL/ MASTER’S CELL – EVENING
The
evening prayers are in full swing. We move across the monks seated in
meditation or prayer until we come to where the Abbot and Geshe Namgyal
are sitting. The Master is conspicuous by his absence.
We
now INTER-CUT the prayers with what is going on in the Master’s cell,
as the Master has a session with Tashi. As the chants proceed and build
up in intensity, so does the action in the Master’s cell.
Fast
inter-cutting of the dialogue that follows with the prayers in the hall
scene. Tashi is reclining on a hard bed as a candle burns in a corner.
His eyes are fast shut and his face has a serene look on it. He is under
hypnosis. The Master is sitting by his side, but as if looming over him
watchingly, speaking in a calm and deep voice.
MASTER
You are now completely relaxed, Tashi, aren’t you?
Tashi speaks also in a noticeably deep voice.
TASHI
Yes. I am relaxed.
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
You are now travelling, Tashi. Aren’t you?
TASHI
I am travelling.
MASTER
Where are you going, Tashi?
TASHI
I am going…
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
Where are you, Tashi?
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
Where have you reached, Tashi?
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
It is a startling effect now as we suddenly cut to Tashi who has started speaking in an unnaturally deep drawl.
TASHI
I’m nowhere. I’m no one, nowhere. I’m not anywhere.
The Master has a slightly concerned look on his face, but plunges ahead bravely.
MASTER
Come back to where you can see yourself, Tashi! … Tashi, come back to where you can see yourself!
Tashi still speaks in a deep voice, but the startling drawl is now gone.
TASHI
I can see myself!
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
(urgently)
Where are you? What do you see?
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
TASHI
I am suckling my newborn.
MASTER
You are a woman!
TASHI
I’m a woman suckling a newborn. But I’m not happy.
MASTER
Why are you not happy?
TASHI
I can’t be happy. It is my fate.
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
Why is it your fate? Why can’t you be happy?
TASHI
I can’t be happy. It is my fate.
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER
Come a little forward, Tashi. Can you look back and see why you were unhappy?
TASHI
(after a pause)
I can’t come forward. I’m stuck here forever. I can’t be happy. It is my love for another.
MASTER
You love another?
TASHI
There is another. This is his child. He’s not my husband. He’s dead. I can’t be happy. I can’t move forward.
The Master takes a deep breath as he takes in all this.
MASTER
Tashi, tell me this –
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER (CONTD.)
Tashi, tell me: Why did you come here?
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
MASTER (CONTD.)
Why have you come here, to this monastery? Why did you take birth close to this place?
TASHI
I’m stuck here. I can’t move forward. …
INTER-CUT: Prayers proceed apace.
TASHI (CONTD.)
But he will come here. We will meet again.
Tashi smiles even in his hypnotised state.
TASHI (CONTD.)
We are meeting again!
The Master looks very concerned.
INTER-CUT: Prayers, proceeding apace, abruptly come to an end.
CUT TO: CLOSE-UP of Tashi abruptly opening his eyes!
