"The moral of this musical theater is in line with the government's program of religious moderation. Hopefully, this performance can move and strengthen the behavior to live better," the Religious Affairs Ministry's director general of Buddhist community guidance, Supriyadi, said here on Saturday.
He expressed the hope that the musical would encourage people to live a more meaningful life and work toward the realization of happiness for all beings and the universe.
The musical was performed in Jakarta as part of the three-day Trisuci Vesak Day 2568 celebration from May 24–26, 2024.
Supriyadi said he hopes that the show would not just entertain, but also provide lessons for all Buddhists.
"I hope that this performance does not only entertain, but also strengthens Buddhists' belief in the Triratna and (encourages people to) make life more advanced by emulating Siddharta in the practice of Dhamma (laws or rules in Buddhism)," he expounded.
Meanwhile, chairperson of the Siddharta The Musical Committee, Sutina Irsan, expressed the hope that the performance would convey universal noble values not only to Buddhists, but also the general public.
She was the initiator of the performance in 2007 and 2024.
"This is a musical theater performance that has a Buddhist background and conveys noble universal values. Presented in a Broadway-style musical theater format with Asian nuances that are very entertaining," she said.
Siddharta The Musical is an art performance that depicts the life of Siddharta who later became Buddha.
Thousands of spectators watched the latest performance, most of them Buddhists from different parts of Indonesia.
The musical has won several awards. This year, it was performed by professionally trained artists.
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Translator: Lintang P, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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