Sanika Babtiwale 

Characters:

 

Tara: The “Savioress.” She is delicate, majestic, and calm. She is quite confident that she can assist and protect all on the spiritual path. She is known as a universal mother because she is committed to relieving suffering in the world and cherishes each being like an only child.

 

Guanyin: Goddess of Compassion, Mercy, and Kindness. She is worshipped especially by women and consoles the troubled, sick, and the lost. Guanyin has also become known as a protector of seafarers, farmers, and travelers. Saying that a woman or a girl resembles Guanyin is to compliment her grace and beauty.

 

Prajnaparamita: The “Mother of All Buddhas.” She is looked upon as the ultimate teacher, the guide who leads the Buddhas (ones who have achieved complete spiritual enlightenment) and bodhisattvas (individuals who are committed to attaining enlightenment). Prajnaparamita transforms the sharp, cold nature of wisdom into a warm, embracing, and attainable characteristic.

 

Vajrayogini: A dynamic, fiery goddess who lives life to the fullest. Rather than helping fulfill their needs and desires, she encourages practitioners to liberate themselves from worldly illusions. She is the Tantric foil of the other regal, modest goddesses from Mahayana Buddhism.

 

 

INT. FANCY COFFEE SHOP (LOCATION UNKNOWN) –AFTERNOON 

 

Aroma of brewed coffee in the air. Soft music plays in the background. We look around, and the coffee shop is bustling with activity. We freeze on a table that can fit 4-5 people. There is already a woman waiting there, with an empty chai cup in front of her. She is sitting with perfect posture, flowers in her braided hair, and wearing lots of jewelry.

 

TARA (looking at watch): This is not done! Where are they? I have appointments to go check on practitioners.

 

She looks around and gets up, deciding to order another chai. While she is paying for it:

 

GUANYIN: I’ve got it.

 

Guanyin puts some coins in the barista’s hand and faces Tara. She is dressed simply, wearing a flowing, white robe and necklaces symbolizing royalty.

 

GUANYIN: Before you say anything, I’m sorry, Tara. There were so many prayers that I was following and I completely lost track of time.

 

TARA: No, I understand. I’m just joking when I complain about your tardiness, you know that. Anyways, we’re in high demand, and we are quite similar so it makes sense-

 

Just then, a woman marches up to them and tries to look stern. Just like the other two goddesses, she is wearing jewelry and a crown. A lotus is in each of her hands.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: And teaching means no demand? Educating spiritual leaders is no easy feat.

 

TARA (putting a hand on Prajnaparamita’s shoulders and laughing): Of course that’s not what I meant! You are just as important too.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Well, as much as I like imparting wisdom, it’s tiring. Do we have a table? And please, let’s talk about something other than our weekly work for once.

 

All head to the table and sit down. Tara and Guanyin have both feet on the ground while Prajnaparamita sits cross-legged.

 

TARA: Speaking of something else, I have something to tell you all.

 

GUANYIN: What’s that? Don’t tell me Vajrayogini is going to show up again. Her uninvited friend ruined everything last time!

 

TARA: Well…

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Nairatmya was a nightmare. Who keeps bragging that their name means “ego-less woman” and still acts so….

 

GUANYIN: Tell me about it! Those two were just non-stop about their liberation movement.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: That’s not even the worst part. She was challenging me about wisdom! Me! And apparently you can see the understanding of life in her eyes.

 

GUANYIN: I don’t understand who Vajrayogini surrounds herself with. Why doesn’t she hang out with Sitatapatra? She provides protection against black magic and other supernatural dangers.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Agreed. Sitatapatra even has a thousand arms, legs, and faces! Who wouldn’t want to be her friend?

 

TARA: Ladies, they weren’t that bad. Anyways, I wanted to bring up Shariputra.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Oh no.

 

GUANYIN: Why doesn’t he just stop talking? Can’t he see that he’s irrelevant now?

 

TARA: He was challenging non-duality again. I don’t understand why he thinks females have to transform themselves into males in order to achieve enlightenment. I didn’t do it and neither are so many others.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: He’s defeated every time. Some disciples just can’t get with it.  Oh! That reminds me! I have something I want to discuss. If that’s ok, of course.

 

TARA: Sure. I think Shariputra’s actions are just expected now. There’s nothing left to say about that.

 

GUANYIN: Right. So Prajnaparamita, what would you like to talk about?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Anything…. actually no. That’s not true. There has been a topic that I have been wanting to discuss for some time now. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

 

TARA: Go on. Perhaps this is a topic worth spending time on, if you are the one who’s confused.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA (sighs): My students aren’t like this. This is something I learn from the laypeople. Since many parents pray to me for their children’s academic success, I overhear a lot of conversations. I understand most of the points…studying, extracurriculars, leadership, higher education. Then the child brings up some things I do not understand. Something about…Snapchat? WhatsApp? Do you know what they are?

 

TARA: It’s something digital, that’s for sure. It seems to me that they spend a lot of time in front of screens. There are some young practitioners who pray to me asking for a new “Wii” or a “Play Station 4.”

 

GUANYIN: Their language doesn’t make sense either. What do “yas,” “lit,” and “hype” mean? I don’t understand how they use these terms. “They are goals?” Does that mean they want to be that person? Why would you want to be anyone else but yourself? Or “she’s v cool?” Shouldn’t it be “very cool?” So much confusion.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: And who are these people they keep talking about? Lin-Manuel Miranda? Priyanka Chopra? Shawn Mendes? Lilly Singh? I’ve never heard of them before. These people just come and go in their minds.

 

TARA: You’re right. Who really inspires young people? I think they themselves are confused on what to think about.

 

GUANYIN: Speaking of that, their sources of information are confusing. This BuzzFeed platform…how can you put serious news, polls about popular sandwich options, and a video of men trying Egyptian belly dancing all on one page? How are you supposed to process this “content”?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA (throws hands up in the air): Who even knows?

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Oh god. What are you guys talking about?

 

Vajrayogini sits down with her arm dangling over Tara’s chair and legs spread out. Unlike the other goddesses, Vajrayogini makes no attempt to look poised. Emotions of disgust are fully displayed on her face and her reddish hair is unbound. She has red skin and is wearing bone jewelry. Vajrayogini is holding a skull cup of coffee (usually blood) in her other hand and the tusks in her mouth are showing.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: I don’t understand your obsession with this generation. In fact, I would simply tell those children to forget everything. If they really want to have fun, they should give up all of their worldly goods. It’s very simple. In fact, why don’t all of you just tell them that?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: That’s not good advice at all! The children should be working on gaining wisdom, not dancing around for freedom.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: If only you tried it. Perhaps you would have a different response than this opulent one.

 

GUANYIN: Vajrayogini, if you are just going to make fun of us the whole time, there is no need for you to come. Tara, why do you invite her every week?

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Wow, Guanyin. For the Goddess of Kindness, that wasn’t very nice. It’s unsurprising, though, since you always save your anger for me. I sometimes forgot how calm and modest all of you have to be. Doesn’t it get tiring?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: At least we have manners. You just walk around in some state of bliss, looking disheveled, and I’ve never seen you help anyone-

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Just wait a minute. Unlike you, I have achieved full enlightenment. And for your kind information, I do “help” others. I encourage them to liberate themselves from these human concerns. It is their birthright to know true happiness. Several female Tantrics follow me as I am the supreme goddess of that pantheon. I help others live, and in the process, so do I.

 

GUANYIN: Well, in that case, let’s try to clear your mental block. I encourage women to become financially secure, overcome obstacles, and move forward with a fresh start. Remember that period with that craze over a caterpillar?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: The Silk Road?

 

GUANYIN: Correct! At the time, I found the entire phenomena incredibly intriguing. Who would’ve thought that exchanging goods would have led to land and sea routes stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to China, the spread of religion, art, and technologies? Anyways, I saw an interesting trend occurring then. Women who were working in the silk industry were forming groups and staying together while making enough money to become independent. Isn’t that something? They were relying on themselves, not on anyone who might deceive them later, especially in the case of an arranged marriage.

 

TARA: I remember. The Princess Miao-shan story inspired them. Becoming liberated from arranged marriages and avoiding the troubles that came with it. Didn’t the nuns follow that story too?

 

GUANYIN: Yes, and there were certainly several famous ones who followed my teachings perfectly. Good Hui-chan. She taught those robbers a lesson after calling my name.

 

TARA: Guanyin. She paralyzed their hands. Then she threw her robes at them.

 

GUANYIN: Her dialogue, though! “You wanted a lot, but what you are going to get is worth very little.” Amazing. Honestly, so many of my followers are empowered.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: I think I should be the one to talk about empowered followers. Wisdom is a protective mantle from all harm. All of my practitioners will not die an untimely death, either from poison, or sword, or fire, or violence when they devote themselves to the perfection of wisdom. And everyone here knows Machig Labdron?

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Not again. Please. Just no.

 

GUANYIN: Stop bragging.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Such people deserve continuous praise. Now, Machig Labdron. She mastered my philosophies so well as an adolescent that she continually defeated the most learned monks in debate.  This girl, she even presented her own practice-

 

VAJRAYOGINI: We know. Free yourself from your ego by visualizing your own mutilation and consumption by demons. I get the point, can we move on now?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Oh no. You started this practitioner tirade so you have to listen to all of it. So, like I was saying...Machig Labdron is the first human guru. She is an emanation of me. Tara only told her.

 

TARA: So I did-

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Machig Labdron is now recognized as the motivation behind a technique that remains important to this day. When you have such followers, you can’t feel any prouder.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Ok! Ok. I think I got it. Tara, we haven’t heard from you yet. Are you feeling too generous today?

 

GUANYIN: Princess Jñanacandra. Your story is pretty amazing. You could’ve prayed to be transformed into a man to reach enlightenment faster, but you didn’t.

 

TARA: Because it doesn’t matter. Everyone has a right to be enlightened.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: There are hundreds of devotional poems about you. You listen to every prayer, and have knowledge about every devotee. They all rely on you because they think they will never come to any harm. You were the famous yogini Dawa Drolma’s spiritual guide, but you still treat all practitioners as equal, never putting any one of them on a pedestal. You also participate in our debates, but you are always in control.  Just…who are you?

 

TARA: My commitment here is to relieve suffering in the world. Truly. I don’t really pay attention to how others perceive me, but I do try to be my best self.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: I can’t believe you, Tara. You barely said anything during this discussion, and yet…I mean, do you not see anything wrong with this generation?

 

GUANYIN: Vajrayogini?

 

VAJRAYOGINI: What? I have a right to know. How come everyone always turns against me and always supports her?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: It’s her duty, Vajrayogini. How can you question her on what she is good at doing?

 

TARA: Vajrayogini. Perhaps you are upset that our practitioners and yours are quite different from each other on a whole. Yes, you stress more on devotees’ complete liberation while we encourage working with what is present in their lives. We each have our separate ways of collaborating with practitioners, but that’s completely normal given the circumstances.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: I…might be able to see where you’re coming from. It still seems as though everyone has failed to answer my question though.

​

PRAJNAPARAMITA: I think you mean my question? You took this conversation elsewhere. So tell me. What exactly are we going to do with this new generation?

 

GUANYIN: Everyone, throughout this conversation I cannot help but think about one thing. Haven’t we discussed this issue before? Think about it: every time a new generation comes up, we are left trying to figure them out. Remember when people started wearing jeans everywhere?

 

TARA: I still wonder how comfortable they actually are. Those pants seem to get tighter every year too!

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Or when awful would mean inspiring wonder? What a loss.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Not really. You guys are awful…just kidding. I am inspired by your majestic statures all the time.

 

GUANYIN: Very funny. My point is that times will always be changing, so what may seem strange now might become normal in a decade.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: I can see that.

 

TARA: We just have to keep moving and do what we do best.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: I suppose so (sigh). I was really hoping for a livelier debate this week. Anyways, I’m glad all of you accepted that I’m right. As usual.

 

GUANYIN: Just wait until next time. You’ll come in all sarcastic and trying to bring us to your wild side and we’ll have to calm you down again.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Oh, Guanyin. I know you’re secretly jealous.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: So. I guess I am not enough to understand this generation alone. I once thought I could, but I am glad that it is not possible. It’s nice to rely on you all, even Vajrayogini.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Of course it is. Who else is there to get you off your high horse?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Don’t make me regret I said that.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Ladies, face it. What would you do without me? I’m the light in your life. Let loose occasionally. And talk about something interesting. Why are you always obsessing over your followers?

 

GUANYIN: You started it! In fact, you made all of us burn in your determination to show yourself as the greatest.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: That’s the spirit! Never stop burning, my friends.

 

TARA: Vajrayogini…no one can ever best you. But we should probably wrap up this conversation. I have to go on my rounds and then meet Amitabha (a celestial buddha) to discuss some mantras.

 

GUANYIN: You keep yourself very busy, Tara.

 

TARA: As one should be.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: No comment this time. Say hi to Amitabha for me. I haven’t seen him for a while now.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Maybe you should come out of your Tantric universe to visit everyone.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: But then I think about all the stately behavior I would have to follow. Let’s see. I’ll consider it.

 

TARA: Please do. Until next time, everyone.

 

GUANYIN: I have some things to wrap up as well. This was…interesting.

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: I have to go soak up some knowledge, so I’m going to take off too.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: So you’ll leave me here all by myself? That’s shocking.

 

GUANYIN: Is there a reason for us to stay? I feel like you’re going to become hyper again.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Hyper? No! It’s reasonable to ask for some healthy debate. Are you guys afraid of the Supreme Goddess of the Tantric universe?

 

PRAJNAPARAMITA: Oh please. You’re looking at the Wisdom Mother here. But I really should get going. Duties call!

 

GUANYIN: I’m just going to follow her.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Hello! Wait! Ok, ok. I’ll compromise? How about politics? Or history? Complaining about Shariputra? Come on! Who would miss out on that? That’s one thing we have in common.

 

GUANYIN: Errr…we kind of already did that without you. And I think we’ve completely exhausted that topic too.

 

VAJRAYOGINI: Seriously? You think I wouldn’t be agreeable then also?

 

GUANYIN: Wow. I just really have to go…see you later!

 

VAJRAYOGINI:  Great…I’m all alone now. Oh well. Their loss. I was going to ask Sitatapatra to come…

 

Vajrayogini shrugs and continues drinking her coffee. We zoom out and focus on the whole café.