The Discourse about Bhaddiya the Dwarf (UD7.5)

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then at that time venerable Bhaddiya the Dwarf close behind many monks went to the Gracious One.

The Gracious One saw venerable Bhaddiya the Dwarf coming while still far away close behind many monks, ugly, unsightly, and deformed, whom almost all of the monks ignored. Having seen that, he addressed the monks, saying: “Do you see, monks, that monk coming while still far away close behind many monks, ugly, unsightly, and deformed, whom almost all of the monks ignore?”

“Yes, reverend Sir.”

“That monk, monks, is one of great power and great majesty. There is no well-gained attainment which has not been already attained by that monk, including that good for which sons of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, and he dwells having known, directly experienced, and attained it himself in this very life.”

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“With faultless wheel, with a white covering, the one-spoked chariot rolls on,
See the untroubled one coming, who has cut off the stream, who is unbound.”

Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti from the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka text. Version 2.2, revised February 2008.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.