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Chapter Eleven
Moonlight Flute
Udayin, Devadatta, Kimbila, Bhadya, Mahanama, Kaludayi, and Anuruddha were Siddhartha’s friends who visited most often to discuss
such things as politics and ethics. In addition to Ananda and Nanda, they would be Siddhartha’s closest advisors when he became king.
They liked to begin their debates after several glasses of wine. Giving in to his friend’s wishes, Siddhartha often kept the royal musicians
and dancers performing far into the night.
Devadatta could wax endlessly about political matters, and Udayin and Mahanama debated tirelessly every point Devadatta made.
Siddhartha spoke little. Sometimes in the middle of a dance or song, Siddhartha would look over to find Anuruddha nodding, half-asleep,
and obviously wearied by the evening’s activities. He would nudge Anuruddha and the two would steal outside where they could watch the
moon and listen to the nearby stream. Anuruddha was Mahanama’s younger brother. Their father was Prince Amritodana, Siddhartha’s
paternal uncle. Anuruddha was an affable, handsome fellow, much admired by the court ladies, though he himself was not inclined to pursue
romance. Sometimes Siddhartha and Anuruddha would sit in the garden until midnight. By then their friends had become too intoxicated or
tired to discuss any more and had retired to the guest rooms, and Siddhartha would take out his flute and play beneath the bright moonlight.
Gopa would place a small incense burner on a rock, and sit quietly nearby, listening to the soft music rise and fall in the warm night air.
Siddhartha played his flute for Anuruddha beneath the bright moonlight.