Personalities of the Buddhist Suttas
[214] At the top, Beggars, of those of my Beggars who assigns sleeping and sitting quarters is Dabbo Mallaputto [he was also in charge of food distribution].
Dabbo Mallputto
(DPPN: He was born at Anupiya in a family of the Mallas. As a child of seven he saw the Buddha who was visiting in the Malla country, and he asked his grandmother (his mother having died at his birth) if he might join the Order under the Buddha. She brought him to the Buddha and the boy became an arahant in the Tonsure hall. He returned with the Buddha to Rajagaha where, with the Buddha's sanction, and wishing to be of service to the Order, he took upon himself the task of appointing night's lodgings to traveling monks and of directing them to meals. He performed his duties most diligently and with great intelligence, and his fame spread far and wide. Monks coming from afar, wishing to witness his skill, would deliberately arrive late and ask for lodgings in some place remote from Rajagaha; Dabba would "burst into flame" and walk ahead of them, with his finger burning to light them on the way [Any one see any resemblance to ET?].
[Dabba was the subject of personal harassment and slander from a group following two beggars called Mettiya and Bhummajaka (The Group of Six — a group of Beggars who systematically contrived to commit every conceivable variation of offence that was not yet the subject of a rule — first offenders [that is, those who committed an offense that was the cause of the origin of a rule] were routinely pardoned in this Discipline). Since they were of poor reputation among the townsfolk, they received poor food and lodgings and they blamed this on Dabba. In retaliation, they did things like name a male goat Dabbo and after observing it copulating, spread rumors that Dabbo was seen copulating. Dabbo was cleared of all charges.]
From the Psalms:
... after the baseless calumny ... had been condemned by the Order ... the Brother, conscious of his virtuous compassion for others, uttered this verse:
Once hard to tame, by taming tamed is now
Dabba, from doubts released, content, serene.
Victor is Dabba now, and void of fears;
Perfected he and staunch in steadfastness.