The Horn Of Rhynoceros: A Text That Speaks Unorthodoxy

Abstract

This article has its aim to create an awareness of the necessity of reading any piece of early Buddhist text or a discourse as it is presented in the Pali (text), without letting its meaning to be clouded by the interpretations given by the Commentaries. To achieve this objective, it undertakes a case study of producing an English translation of The poem of the Horn of Rhinoceros (Khaggavisana) of the Suttanipata. In prodcuing this translation, it rejects the Commentarial interpretation of seeing the verses of the poem as inspired utterances of different Pacceka-buddhas; instead, it views the verses as a single poem composed aiming at inspiring the young laity and the young monks at the earliest period of Buddhism to adopt a pragmatic solitary life in order to practice the path leading to the cessation of suffering here and now, with a sense of urgency. As such the poem commends the minority forest-dwelling monks and critiques the majority orthodox village monks who display no sense of urgency in attaining the cessation of suffering.