Kundun Page #2

Lhamo slides over so that the man can sit on the platform

beside him. The man picks up a few pebbles and drops them -

he knows the game.

We recognize this servant. His name is KEUSTANG RINPOCHE.

He is one of the monks we saw at the Oracle lake, the one

with the mesmerizing eyes. Keustang Rinpoche is the Lama of

Sera Monastery.

Lhamo sees a dark brown rosary around the Servant's neck and

immediately pulls at the string of beads.

LHAMO:

Mine.

The Servant takes the rosary off and gives it to the boy.

Lhamo hangs the string of beads around his own neck. The

Servant makes a move to take back the rosary, but Lhamo

resists.

LHAMO:

Mine.

SERVANT:

Mine.

LHAMO:

Please.

SERVANT:

I will give it to, if you can

tell me who I am.

Lhamo looks up, into the man's piercing, black eyes.

LHAMO:

The Lama of Sera.

You come.

The Mother enters and immediately sees the rosary around her

son's neck. She gives it back to the Servant.

MOTHER:

Lhamo, no.

Lhamo goes back to his game. The Mother hands the tired man

a slice of bread and a steaming cup of tea. The man's

hands are shaking. He cannot look the woman in the eye.

SERVANT:

Thank you.

EXT. COURTYARD DAWN

The travelers make their departure at dawn.

As the party reaches the gate, Lhamo runs from the house,

crying:

LHAMO:

Wait! No!

The men stop. Lhamo runs to the Servant.

LHAMO:

Me, too. Me go, too.

Lhasa!

Lhamo is in tears.

MOTHER:

No, no, no. Lhasa!

He always says he will travel

far away. He always wants to go.

SERVANT:

We cannot, young master.

LHAMO:

You come back?

A pause.

SERVANT:

We will.

The travelers head down the road.

Mother and child return to their home, the Mother carrying

the boy on her hip as he swings himself around to take a

last look at the strangers.

EXT. COURTYARD DAWN

The Father readies a pack train of horses. Lobsang and

Lhamo pull on the cinche straps.

EXT. FARMLAND DAY

The Mother plows with a heavy yoke attached to a large yak.

Lobsang Samten and Tsering Dolma help their mother. Lhamo

sleeps under an umbrella.

EXT. COURTYARD DAY

Lobsang and Lhamo running, carrying a bowl of eggs.

INT. KITCHEN NIGHT

Lobsang is wrapped in maroon wool, trying to hold still as

his Mother pins and stitches. Lhamo sits, sipping tea,

watching, woefully.

MOTHER:

Say, Kumbum Monastery.

LOBSANG:

Kumbum. It is not far away.

MOTHER:

It is not far at all, and

it is a beautiful place.

And your big brother is abbott

there. You will not be alone.

LOBSANG:

I will be very smart.

MOTHER:

You will be fine.

You will be a fine monk.

INT. ALTAR ROOM DAWN

Lobsang pours water from one small, copper bowl into six

others, seven in all, placed on an altar before a statue of

Buddha. As the rest of the family watches, the Mother

lights the butter lamps, whispering:

MOTHER:

Om mani padme hum.

Om mani padme hum.

EXT. COURTYARD DAY

Lobsang is perched on the back of a horse - in front of his

Father. The two leave home, goodbyes having already been

said. Mother, sister and little brother remain behind.

EXT. PARENT'S ROOM NIGHT

Mother lies down with Lhamo, holding him.

MOTHER:

Your father had been very sick.

He had been sick from the time

you began growing in me.

We thought he would die.

LHAMO:

Cow.

MOTHER:

Yes. A cow had died.

One night, you stopped all

your moving, and I said to your

sister, "His time has come."

LHAMO:

Me. First break of day.

MOTHER:

At dawn, you were born. One eye was

closed, and your sister opened it

with her thumb. We gave you the

sweet drink.

LHAMO:

I pooped.

His Mother laughs.

MOTHER:

You did. We washed you and wrapped

you in sheepskin and took you to your

father. That day he father got

better

And that day, a pair of crows came to

nest in our roof. I just remembered.

LHAMO:

I miss my brother.

MOTHER:

I miss him too.

CLOSE on the Mother as she holds Lhamo, now her only son at

home.

A view of Kyeri mountain turning from a pre-dawn purple to

light pink in the sunlight.

EXT. COURTYARD DAWN

The multi-colored prayer flags flap in the wind as the cock

crows and the animals come awake. Father exits the house

and begins his day.

EXT. SIDE OF THE HOUSE DAY

Lhamo is watching two bugs fighting when he hears the dog

bark. He climbs the low, stone wall and looks out at the

road.

Six TRAVELERS approach. Four of the men are dressed as

nobility, wearing red and gold silk. Two men are monks.

The Mother meets the men in the courtyard. A monk steps

forward. He bows.

LAMA:

I am the Lama of Sera.

MOTHER:

Sera Monastery? From Lhasa?

LAMA:

Yes. We have business here.

Lhamo jumps off the wall. He carefully lifts the smaller

beetle from the path of the larger beetle. He places the

rescued bug safely in a clump of grass.

INT. PARENT'S ROOM DAY

CLOSE on the faces of the six men.

CLOSE on the small face of Lhamo as he looks down at the

bed.

Lying on a piece of yellow silk are many objects. There are

three of each type of object: three walking sticks, three

drums, three silver pens, three eating bowls, three bells,

three rosaries, three pairs of spectacles.

The Lama of Sera - Keustang Rinpoche - hands Lhamo the

rosary he had so coveted when the man first visited.

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

This is yours, you say.

What else belongs to you?

Lhamo considers the request, then climbs onto the bed to

study the objects. The drum and the bell he chooses

quickly.

Keustang Rinpoche watches the boy gather the items. He

looks at the yellow silk and the boy's small, fine hands.

He dares not look directly at the boy.

Lhamo picks up one walking stick - a lovely, bronze-handled

one. He swings it around, but he finally rejects it in

favor of a plain, iron-handled stick. He makes his own pile

of these things, then looks at the Lama of Sera.

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

Yes, those are yours.

Keustang Rinpoche takes the boy's hands in his own. He

turns them over, examines them.

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

With permission?

The Lama carefully pulls back the boy's overalls. There is

a little birthmark, like a conch shell, on his shoulder.

Keustang Rinpoche pulls up the boy's pants legs. There is a

funny skin marking on the legs, like tiger stripes.

The Lama rearranges the boy's clothing, then one more time,

takes the beautiful, little hands in his own and whispers:

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

"Kundun"

He says to the others, in a soft, secretive voice:

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

He is the Presence.

In the background, by an open curtain, we see Lhamo's

Mother.

She says, softly:

MOTHER:

My oldest boy is an incarnation.

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

So is your youngest.

Keustang releases the boy's hands and brings his own closed

palms up to his forehead.

KEUSTANG RINPOCHE

I wish you long life.

The Mother begins to cry.

INT. ALTAR ROOM DAY

Little Lhamo, now dressed in yellow, fills the copper water

bowls with difficulty.

His parents stand beside him. They share one, frightened

curious look.

CLOSE on the statue of Buddha. It is an image of Chenrezig,

the Buddha of Compassion. He has eleven heads and four,

outstretched arms.

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