Thus it has been heard by me. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi in the Jeta Forest in the private park owned by Anāthapiṇḍika.

Also at that time, where the Blessed One was, there Venerable Bhaddiya the Dwarf approached, close behind many monks.

The Blessed One saw Venerable Bhaddiya the Dwarf, even from afar, coming close behind many monks: of bad complexion, of bad appearance, dwarfish, of such a form as to be despised by most of the monks.[1] Having seen him, he addressed the monks:

"Monks, do you see that monk, even from afar, coming close behind many monks: of bad complexion, of bad appearance, dwarfish, of such a form as to be despised by most of the monks?"

"Just so, Venerable Sir."

"Monks, that monk is of great power, of great eminence. There is no well-gained attainment that has not already been attained by that monk. For that benefit, for which sons of good lineage rightly go forth from home into homelessness, that ultimate conclusion of the holy life, even in this very life, by himself, having seen with his own eyes the higher knowledge, and having attained, he abides."

And then, having understood the meaning of that, in that moment he breathed forth this utterance:

With faultless part, adorned in white, the one-way chariot rolls on: See it coming, undisturbed, with flow cut off, unbound. [2]

Notes

1.: The commentary (of Dhammapāla, post 5^th Century CE): "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 [puthujjana-bhikkhū]." See also SN 21.6.
2.: See also SN 41.5, in which the Venerable Kāmabhū recites this stanza to the lay devotee Citta, and asks him how its meaning should be seen. Citta then proceeds to offer his interpretation of its meaning. (Notes on this present translation of the stanza are also provided with SN 41.5.)

Copyright © 2011 K. Nizamis. The text of this page (“Apara Lakuntaka Bhaddiya Sutta: Another Discourse about Bhaddiya the Dwarf”, by K. Nizamis) is licensed under a Buddhist Publication Society free-distribution licence. From Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013. You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. This presentation is a derivative of that source document: it has been restyled and its links rewritten. The translation itself is unaltered.