sutta » an » an8 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.13

Assājānīyasutta

A Thoroughbred

“Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.
“Mendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with eight factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and considered a factor of kingship.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?
What eight?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño bhaddo assājānīyo ubhato sujāto hoti—
It’s when a fine royal thoroughbred is well born on both

mātito ca pitito ca.
the mother’s and the father’s sides.

Yassaṁ disāyaṁ aññepi bhaddā assājānīyā jāyanti, tassaṁ disāyaṁ jāto hoti.
He’s bred in the region fine thoroughbreds come from.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti—
Whatever food he’s given,

allaṁ vā sukkhaṁ vā—
fresh or dry,

taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avikiranto.
he eats carefully, without making a mess.

Jegucchī hoti uccāraṁ vā passāvaṁ vā abhinisīdituṁ vā abhinipajjituṁ vā.
He’s disgusted by sitting or lying down in excrement or urine.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na ca aññe asse ubbejetā.
He’s sweet-natured and pleasant to live with, and he doesn’t upset the other horses.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ sārathissa āvikattā hoti.
He openly shows his tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to his trainer,

Tesamassa sārathi abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.
so the trainer can try to subdue them.

Vāhī kho pana hoti.
He carries his load, determining:

‘Kāmaññe assā vahantu vā mā vā, ahamettha vahissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.
‘Whether or not the other horses carry their loads, I’ll carry mine.’

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati.
He always walks in a straight path.

Thāmavā hoti yāva jīvitamaraṇapariyādānā thāmaṁ upadaṁsetā.
He’s strong, and stays strong even until death.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.
A fine royal thoroughbred with these eight factors is worthy of a king. …

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa.
In the same way, a mendicant with eight qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?
What eight?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.
It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti—
Whatever food they’re given,

lūkhaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā—
coarse or fine,

taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avihaññamāno.
they eat carefully, without bother.

Jegucchī hoti kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena;
They're disgusted with bad conduct by way of body, speech, or mind,

jegucchī hoti anekavihitānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā.
and by attainment of the many kinds of unskillful things.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na aññe bhikkhū ubbejetā.
They're sweet-natured and pleasant to live with, and they don’t upset the other mendicants.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ āvikattā hoti satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu.
They openly show their tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to their sensible spiritual companions,

Tesamassa satthā vā viññū vā sabrahmacārī abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.
so they can try to subdue them.

Sikkhitā kho pana hoti.
They do their training, determining:

‘Kāmaññe bhikkhū sikkhantu vā mā vā, ahamettha sikkhissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.
‘Whether or not the other mendicants do their training, I’ll do mine.’

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati;
They always walk in a straight path.

tatrāyaṁ ujumaggo, seyyathidaṁ—
And here the straight path is

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Āraddhavīriyo viharati:
They’re energetic:

‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ; yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ, na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.
‘Gladly, let my skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the blood and flesh waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.
A mendicant with these eight qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.”

Tatiyaṁ.