Now listen to the legend of the Lonely Buddhas:

The Sage of Vedeha, his body bent, asked
the Thus-Gone-One dwelling in Jetavana,
“Indeed there are those called the Lonely Buddhas;
through what causes do they become so, Wise One?”

Then spoke the Omniscient, Outstanding, Great Sage,
to lucky Ānanda with his honeyed voice,
“Who performed service among former Buddhas,
but didn’t get freed in their dispensations,

because that is the means to awaken, wise,
they with sharp knowing, through knowledge and power,
because of their wishes and also great strength,
reach the Awakening of Lonely Buddhas.

In every world, with the exception of me,
there is no equal for the Lonely Buddhas.
I will describe a piece of the excellent
character of those Buddhas, the Great Sages.”

All of you, with well-pleased minds, aspiring for
the unsurpassed medicine, hear, by yourselves,
the excellent sayings, which are short and sweet,
of those Great Sages who were Lonely Buddhas,

which are explanations of generations
of Lonely Buddhas who gathered together,
and a story of dispassion for danger,
and likewise how they achieved Awakening.

With awareness detached from passionate things,
mind not delighting in delights in the world,
abandoning obstacles, throbbing conquered,
thereby indeed they achieved Awakening.

Putting away the stick among all beings,
not causing harm to a single one of them,
with a loving mind, friendly, compassionate,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Putting away the stick among all beings,
not causing harm to a single one of them,
not wishing for sons, let alone companions,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Affections arise for one with connections;
this dis-ease proceeds in line with affections.
Seeing the danger that’s born of affections,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Feeling compassion for friends and companions,
one puts off the goal, mind tied to their problems;
seeing that fearfulness in intimacy,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

One who is attentive to sons and to wives
is entangled like a large bamboo thicket.
Not stuck to others, like a new bamboo shoot,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Just as a deer, not ensnared, goes for pasture
in the forest according to its wishes,
a knowing man looks after independence;
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Resting, standing, going, wandering there is
some invitation amidst one’s companions.
Looking after independence most don’t want,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Amidst one’s companions there is delighting
in sports, and there is abundant love for sons.
Though hating separation from what’s held dear,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Global in outlook, one is causing no harm,
being happy with whatever comes one’s way;
an endurer of troubles, not stiff with fear,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Even some who have gone forth are ill-disposed;
likewise some householders living in the house.
Being unconcerned about others’ children,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Shedding the attributes of life in the house
like an ebony tree whose leaves have fallen,
the hero severs the ties to household life;
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

If one should obtain a clever companion,
a co-wanderer who lives well and is wise,
after having overcome every trouble,
one would wander with that one, thrilled and mindful.

If one should not get a clever companion,
a co-wanderer who lives well and is wise,
then like a king quitting a conquered kingdom,
one should wander alone, like tuskers in the woods.

Truly we’re praising success with companions;
those who are better or equal should be served.
Not getting those, not enjoying sinful things,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Seeing shiny bangles made out of fine gold,
which have been well-made by the son of a smith,\
banging together when two are on one arm
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

“Like that, with another, there will be for me,
meaningless chatter or ill-tempered bad speech;”
seeing that as a danger for the future,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Sense pleasures are varied, sweet and delightful;
they churn up the mind with their varying form.
Seeing danger in the strands of sense pleasure,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

“For me this is calamity, misfortune;
a sickness, a sharp arrow, a fearsome thing.”
Seeing this fear in the strands of sense pleasure,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Freezing cold and scorching heat, hunger and thirst,
wind and hot weather and gadflies and serpents:
having vanquished even all of those problems,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Just as a noble elephant with a full-
grown spotted body, abandoning the herd,
might dwell in the woods, however it wishes,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

“One who is fond of company cannot touch
liberation, even temporarily.”
Heeding with care those words of the Sun’s Kinsman,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Freed from incessant wrangling of opinions,
gaining the way, getting the path, with the thought,
“I know I am not to be led by others,”
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Freed from greed, without deceit, and thirst-free,
lacking hypocrisy, fault- and folly-free,
becoming intention-free in the whole world,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Avoiding, not consorting with an evil
companion, who is blind to the goal, who gets
into trouble, who intends things, is slothful,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

One should consort with someone noble, a friend,
very learned, Dhamma-bearer, skilled preacher.
Discerning one’s own goals, removing all doubt,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Not embellishing, not looking after sport
nor delights, pleasures, happiness in the world;
abstaining from adornment, telling the truth,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Having given up sense pleasures completely,
including sons and wives, father and mother,
wealth and grain and also all one’s relatives,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Mindful, discerning, “this is an attachment;
the happiness here is trifling, little fun;
here there is much suffering, this is a shaft,”
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Having broken to bits one’s own hindrances,
like a fish breaking a net in the water,
like fire that does not return to what is burnt,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

With eyes cast downward, not just goofing around,
having senses guarded and mind protected,
not filled with desire, not burning as though fire,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Discarding the attributes of household life,
just like a coral tree with fallen-off leaves,
departing the house wearing the saffron robe,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Not greedy for good tastes, not wavering, not
feeding others, on unbroken begging rounds,
with a mind that’s not bound to this clan or that,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Abandoning the five hindrances of mind,
having pushed away all of the defilements,
independent, affection and hate removed,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Putting happiness and suffering behind,
and even in the past, mental joy and pain;
attaining equanimity, calm and pure,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

With strenuous effort to reach the best goal,
with mind unstuck and behavior attentive,
with firm exertion, having strength and power,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Not quitting solitude or meditation,
always living among things by the Teaching,
grasping the danger within existences,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Aspiring to destroy craving, not lazy,
not foolish, learned, possessing mindfulness,
probing the Teaching, restrained, energetic,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Not terrified, like a lion hearing sounds;
unentangled, as is the wind in a net;
not smeared, like a pink lotus by the water,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Having overcome, like a strong-toothed lion,
the king of beasts, wandering victorious,
one should make use of lodgings that are remote,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Practicing love, equanimity, pity,
release, or joy for others at the right time,
being unobstructed by the entire world,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

Quitting passion and hatred and delusion,
having broken to bits one’s own hindrances,
not trembling at the moment when life’s destroyed,
one should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

They associate, they embrace with some motive;
friends without motives are hard to find these days.
Wise about self-interest, people aren’t pure.
One should wander alone, like a rhino’s horn.

With Pure Morals and With Very Pure Wisdom,
Attentive, Applying Selves to Mindfulness,
Insightful, Seeing the Teaching’s Distinction,
Knowing the Aspects of Path and of Wisdom,

in a Victor’s dispensation practicing
merit, aspiration and thus gaining signs,
Wise Ones who don’t go on to have followers
become Lonely Victors, those Self-Become Ones.

With Vast Dhamma, and Many Dhamma-Bodies,
Mind-Lords, Crossing the Flood of All Suffering,
With Thrilled Minds, Seers of the Ultimate Goal,
Analogues of Lions, Like a Rhino’s Horn,

With Tranquil Senses, With Tranquil Minds, Composed,
Acting Mindfully for neighboring beings,
Lamps shining the light of ultimate truth here,
these Lonely Buddhas are constantly honored.

All Obstacles Abandoned, Lords of People,
Lamps of the World, Shedding Light Like Heaps of Gold,
Free of Doubt and Good for the World to Look At,
these Lonely Buddhas are constantly honored.

The clever sayings of the Lonely Buddhas
are circulating in the world with its gods.
Having heard, those who don’t act that way are fools;
they spin in suffering again and again.

The clever sayings of the Lonely Buddhas
are as sweet as if they were flowing honey.
Having heard, those who practice accordingly
become seers of the Four Truths, very wise.

These lofty verses spoken by those Victors,
Lonely Buddhas, gone forth into homelessness,
were made known, for apprehending the Teaching,
by the Śākyan Lion, the Ultimate Man.

With pity for the world, these transformations
of those Self-Become Ones, the Lonely Buddhas,
were made known by him, the Self-Become Lion,
for increasing emotion and connection.

The Legend of the Lonely Buddhas is finished.