K. Nizamis and Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) via accesstoinsight.org, Apara Lakuntaka Bhaddiya Sutra: "Another Discourse About Bhaddiya the Dwarf" (Ud 7.5 PTS: Ud 76) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One [the Buddha] was dwelling in Sāvatthi, in Jeta Forest, in Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
At that time Venerable Bhaddiya the Dwarf approached walking close behind a large number of monks. The Blessed One saw him from afar, walking close behind many other monks -- of bad complexion, bad appearance, dwarfish, of a form that would be despised by most monks [1].
Seeing Ven. Bhaddiya the Dwarf, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Meditators, do you see that monk from afar, walking close behind those many other monks, the one with the bad complexion, bad appearance, dwarfish, of a form that would be despised by most monks?"
"Yes, it is just so, venerable sir."
"Meditators, that monk is of great power, great eminence. There is no well-gained meditative attainment that has not already been attained by that monk. For the benefit for which persons of good lineage rightly go forth from home into the left-home life, the ultimate culmination of the supreme life [of a wandering ascetic], in this very life, he himself, having seen with his own eyes and realized the higher knowledge, having personally attained it, he abides."
Then, having understood the significance of this moment, the Blessed One breathed an inspired utterance:
Faultless, adorned in white,
the one-way chariot rolls on:
See it coming, undisturbed,
with oozing flow cut off, nirvanered [2].
NOTES
1. The Commentary (of Dhammapāla, post 5th Century CE) says yebhuyyena bhikkhūnaṃ paribhūtarūpan'ti puthujjanabhikkhūhi ohīḷitarūpaṃ (PTS Ud-A 369). "'For most of the monks, having a despised kind of form': having a kind of form scorned or viewed with disgust [ohīliṭa] by the monks who are just ordinary people [puthujjanas]." See also SN 21.6.
2. See also SN 41.5, in which Ven. Kāmabhū recites this stanza to a lay devotee named Citta, and asks him how its meaning should be understood. Citta then proceeds to offer his interpretation of its meaning.
The Dwarf
Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Lakuṇṭha Sutra: "The Dwarf" (Ud 7.5, PTS: Ud 76) edited by W.Q.
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. On that occasion Ven. Bhaddiya the Dwarf, following behind a large number of monks, was coming to see the Blessed One.
From afar the Blessed One saw Ven. Bhaddiya the Dwarf coming, following behind a large number of monks -- ugly, unsightly, stunted, treated with condescension [1] by many of the monks. Seeing him, the Blessed One addressed the monks:
"Meditators, do you see that monk coming from afar, following behind that large number of monks, the ugly, unsightly, stunted one treated with condescension by many of the monks?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"That, meditators, is a monk of great power and great might. The attainment already attained by that monk is not of the sort easily attained by anyone. And by means of it he has reached and abides in the supreme goal of the supreme life for which persons of good lineage rightly go forth from home into the left-home life, directly knowing and seeing it for himself right in here and now."
Then, realizing the significance of this, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
NOTES
1. The Commentary notes that misbehaving monks liked to stroke his hands and catch hold of his ears.
2. In SN 41.5, Citta the householder explains this verse as follows:
Faultless stands for virtues.
Canopied in white stands for release.
Single-spoked stands for mindfulness.
Rolls along stands for coming and going.
Chariot stands for this body composed of the four elements...
Passion [greed] is a trouble; aversion [hatred] is a trouble; delusion [ignorance, confusion, wrong view] is a trouble. These have been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements (asavas, kilesas, samyojanas) have been cut off — their roots destroyed, made [barren] like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That's why the meditator whose defilements have ended is said to be untroubled.
Him coming stands for the arahant.
Stream stands for craving. That has been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements have been cut off — its roots destroyed, made [barren] like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That's why a meditator whose defilements have been cut off is said to be one whose stream is cut.
Passion is a bond; aversion is a bond; delusion is a bond. These have been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements have been cut off — their roots destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That is why a meditator whose defilements have been cut off is said to be free of bonds.
Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Lakuṇṭha Sutra: "The Dwarf" (Ud 7.5, PTS: Ud 76) edited by W.Q.
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. On that occasion Ven. Bhaddiya the Dwarf, following behind a large number of monks, was coming to see the Blessed One.From afar the Blessed One saw Ven. Bhaddiya the Dwarf coming, following behind a large number of monks -- ugly, unsightly, stunted, treated with condescension [1] by many of the monks. Seeing him, the Blessed One addressed the monks:
"Meditators, do you see that monk coming from afar, following behind that large number of monks, the ugly, unsightly, stunted one treated with condescension by many of the monks?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"That, meditators, is a monk of great power and great might. The attainment already attained by that monk is not of the sort easily attained by anyone. And by means of it he has reached and abides in the supreme goal of the supreme life for which persons of good lineage rightly go forth from home into the left-home life, directly knowing and seeing it for himself right in here and now."
Then, realizing the significance of this, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
Faultless,
canopied in white,
the single-spoked chariot rolls along.
See him coming, untroubled:
one whose stream is cut,
free from all bonds [2].
NOTES
1. The Commentary notes that misbehaving monks liked to stroke his hands and catch hold of his ears.
2. In SN 41.5, Citta the householder explains this verse as follows:
Faultless stands for virtues.
Canopied in white stands for release.
Single-spoked stands for mindfulness.
Rolls along stands for coming and going.
Chariot stands for this body composed of the four elements...
Passion [greed] is a trouble; aversion [hatred] is a trouble; delusion [ignorance, confusion, wrong view] is a trouble. These have been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements (asavas, kilesas, samyojanas) have been cut off — their roots destroyed, made [barren] like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That's why the meditator whose defilements have ended is said to be untroubled.
Him coming stands for the arahant.
Stream stands for craving. That has been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements have been cut off — its roots destroyed, made [barren] like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That's why a meditator whose defilements have been cut off is said to be one whose stream is cut.
Passion is a bond; aversion is a bond; delusion is a bond. These have been abandoned by a meditator whose defilements have been cut off — their roots destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for any future rebirth. That is why a meditator whose defilements have been cut off is said to be free of bonds.
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