Personalities of the Buddhist Suttas

Index

[226] At the top, Beggars, of those of my Beggars who has little suffering is Bakkulo.

Bakkulo

DPPN: He was born in the family of a councilor of Kosambī, and, while being bathed by his nurse in the waters of the Yamuna, he slipped into the river and was swallowed by a fish. The fish was caught by an angler and sold to the wife of a Benares councilor. When the fish was split open the child was discovered unhurt, and cherished by the councilor's wife as her own son. On discovering his story, she asked permission of his parents to keep him. The king decided that the two families should have him in common, hence his name Bakula ("two-families, bi-kin"). After a prosperous life, at the age of eighty, Bakkula heard the Buddha preach and left the world. For seven days he remained unenlightened, but on the dawn of the eighth day he became an arahant. Later, the Buddha declared him to be foremost in good health (appabadhanam).

From the Psalms:

He who is fain to-morrow to perform
The things that he should yesterday have done,
Forfeit of happy opportunity,
He shall anon repent him fierily.
Let him but talk of that which should be done;
Let him not talk of what should not be done!
Of him who talketh much, but doeth not,
Wise men take stock, and rate him at his worth.
O great, O wondrous is Nibbana's bliss,
Revealed by Him, the Utterly awake!
There comes no grief, no passion, haven sure,
Where ill and ailing perish evermore!