Ugly
Dubbaṇṇiya Sutta  (SN 11:22)

Near Sāvatthī. “Once, monks, a certain yakkha—ugly & misshapen—sat down on Sakka the deva-king’s seat. Then the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained: ‘Isn’t it amazing, good sirs! Isn’t it astounding! This yakkha—ugly & misshapen—has sat down on Sakka’s seat!’ But the more the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained, the more well-formed that yakkha became, the more good-looking & inspiring.

“Then the devas of the Thirty-three went to Sakka the deva-king and, on arrival, said to him, ‘Just now, dear sir, a certain yakkha—ugly & misshapen—sat down on your seat. The devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained: “Isn’t it amazing, good sirs! Isn’t it astounding! This yakkha—ugly & misshapen—has sat down on Sakka’s seat!” But the more the devas of the Thirty-three were indignant, annoyed, & complained, the more well-formed that yakkha became, the more good-looking & inspiring.’

“‘Then, dear sirs, he must be an anger-eating yakkha.’

“So Sakka the deva-king approached the anger-eating yakkha and, on arrival, arranging his upper robe over one shoulder & kneeling with one knee on the ground, raised his hands palm-to-palm over his heart toward the anger-eating yakkha and announced his name three times, ‘I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king! I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king! I, dear sir, am Sakka the deva-king!’1 The more Sakka the deva-king announced his name, the uglier & more misshapen the yakkha became. Then, having become uglier & more misshapen, he disappeared right there.

“Then Sakka the deva-king, sitting down on his seat & conciliating the devas of the Thirthy-three, on that occasion recited these verses:

“‘I’m not easily upset in mind,

nor easily led into a whirl.

I don’t get angry for long.

Anger doesn’t persist in me.

When angry, I don’t speak harshly

or insist on my virtues.

I keep myself well under control

with an eye to my own good.’”

Note

1. Repeating one’s name in this fashion was, at that time, considered a sign of respect. See DN 16, note 46.

See also: MN 21; SN 1:71; SN 3:23; SN 7:2; AN 3:35; AN 3:133; AN 4:200; AN 5:161–162; AN 7:60; AN 10:80; Dhp XVII