Aṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Navaka Nipāta
III. Satt'Āvāsa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Nines
Chapter III: Spheres of Beings
Sutta 22
Khaḷuṅka Suttaɱ
The Excitable Steed
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There he addressed the monks, saying: "Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied; and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, I will tell you of the three excitable steeds[1]
and of the three excitable men;
of the three well-bred[2] steeds
and of the three well-bred men;
of the three noble thoroughbred steeds
and of the three noble thoroughbred men.
Listen, pay heed, I will speak."
"Yes, lord," they replied; and the Exalted One said:
§
"And what, monks, are the three excitable steeds?
Herein one horse is speedy,
but is not graceful,[3]
nor goodly in build [267] and girth;[4]
another is speedy and graceful,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is speedy and graceful
and goodly in build and girth.
Monks, these are the three excitable steeds.
■
And what, monks, are the three excitable men?
Herein one man is quick-witted,[5] but not full of grace,[6]
nor goodly in build and girth;
another is quick-witted and full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is quick-witted
and full of grace
and goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is an excitable man quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk understands:
This is ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the origin of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the ending of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the practice leading to the ending of ill-as it really is.
This I declare of his quick-wittedness.
■
But when questioned on More-Dhamma[7]
and on More-Discipline,
he fails and cannot answer the questions.
This I declare of his lack of grace.
■
Nor does he receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
■
Thus, monks, an excitable man is quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is an excitable man quick-witted
and full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk understands:
This is ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the origin of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the ending of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the practice leading to the ending of ill-as it really is.
This I declare of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
But he does not receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
■
Thus, monks, is an excitable man quick-witted
and full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is an excitable man quick-witted
and full of grace
and goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk understands:
This is ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the origin of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the ending of ill-as it really is;
understands:
This is the practice leading to the ending of ill-as it really is.
This I declare of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
And he does receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his goodliness in build and girth.
■
Thus, monks, is an excitable man quick-witted
and full of grace,
and goodly in build and girth.
[268] Monks, these are the three excitable men.
§
And what, monks, are the three well-bred steeds?
Herein one horse is speedy,
but is not graceful,
nor goodly in build and girth;
another is speedy and graceful,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is speedy and graceful
and goodly in build and girth.
Monks, these are the three well-bred steeds.
■
And what, monks, are the three well-bred men?
Herein one man is quick-witted, but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth;
another is quick-witted and full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is quick-witted
and full of grace
and goodly in build and girth.
Monks, these are the three well-bred men.
§
And how, monks, is a well-bred man quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk
after completely destroying the five lower fetters,
is reborn spontaneously
and not being subject to return from that world,
becomes completely cool there.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
But when questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he fails and cannot answer the questions.
This I declare of his lack of grace.
■
Nor does he receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
■
Thus, monks, a well-bred man is quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is a well-bred man quick-witted,
full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk
after completely destroying the five lower fetters,
is reborn spontaneously
and not being subject to return from that world,
becomes completely cool there.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
But he does he receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
Thus, monks, a well-bred man is quick-witted,
full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is a well-bred man quick-witted,
full of grace,
and goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk
after completely destroying the five lower fetters,
is reborn spontaneously
and not being subject to return from that world,
becomes completely cool there.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
And he receives the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his goodliness in build and girth.
Thus, monks, a well-bred man is quick-witted,
full of grace,
and goodly in build and girth.
These, monks, are the three well-bred men.
§
And what, monks, are the three noble thoroughbred steeds?
Herein one horse is speedy,
but is not graceful,
nor goodly in build and girth;
another is speedy and graceful,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is speedy and graceful
and goodly in build and girth.
Monks, these are the three noble thoroughbred steeds.
■
And what, monks, are the three noble thoroughbred men?
Herein one man is quick-witted, but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth;
another is quick-witted and full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth;
and another is quick-witted
and full of grace
and goodly in build and girth.
Monks, these are the three noble thoroughbred men.
§
And how, monks, is a noble thoroughbred man quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk destroys the cankers
and enters into and abides in
the emancipation of the mind and wisdom,
knowing and realising this state for himself,
even in this present life.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
But when questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he fails and cannot answer the questions.
This I declare of his lack of grace.
■
Nor does he receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
Thus, monks, a noble thoroughbred man is quick-witted,
but not full of grace,
nor goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is a noble thoroughbred man quick-witted,
full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk destroys the cankers
and enters into and abides in
the emancipation of the mind and wisdom,
knowing and realising this state for himself,
even in this present life.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
But he does he receive the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his lack of goodliness in build and girth.
Thus, monks, a noble thoroughbred man is quick-witted,
full of grace,
but not goodly in build and girth.
§
And how, monks, is a noble thoroughbred man quick-witted,
full of grace,
and goodly in build and girth?
Herein, monks, a monk destroys the cankers
and enters into and abides in
the emancipation of the mind and wisdom,
knowing and realising this state for himself,
even in this present life.
I declare this of his quick-wittedness.
■
When questioned on More-Dhamma
and on More-Discipline,
he does not fail to answer the questions.
This I declare of his grace.
■
And he receives the requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness.
This I declare of his goodliness in build and girth.
Thus, monks, a noble thoroughbred man is quick-witted,
full of grace,
and goodly in build and girth.
These, monks, are the three noble thoroughbred men."
[1] Khaḷunka. Comy. refers to the remarks ad A. i, 287 (Mp. 498), and there glosses: pota, young; cf. above, p. 131 ff.; A. ii, 250; v, 323.
[2] Sadassa.
[3] Vaṇṇāsampanna, endowed with beauty.
[4] Ārohapariṇāhasampanna. Mp., loc. cit., uccabhāvaparimaṇḍalabhava.
[5] Javasampanna. Comy. ñāṇajavena sampanno; cf. Cpd. 245.
[6] Na vaṇṇa-. Comy. explains, na guṇavaṇṇa-.
[7] Abhidhamme abhivinaye; cf. Dial. iii, 246 n.; M. i, 472; Vin. i, 64.
