Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
IX. Samaṇa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
IX. The Recluse
Sutta 81
Samaṇa Suttaṃ
The Recluse
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, there are these three pursuits of a recluse,
to be put in practice by a recluse.
What three?[1]
The undertaking of the training
in the higher morality,
the undertaking of the training
in the higher thought
the undertaking of the training
in the higher insight.
These are the three.
■
Wherefore, monks, thus must ye train yourselves:
'Keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher morality:
keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher [209] thought,
keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher insight.'
That is how ye must train yourselves.
§
2. Suppose, monks, an ass follows close behind
a herd of kine,
thinking:
'I'm a cow[2] too!
I'm a cow too!'
But he is not like cows in colour,
voice
or hoof.
He just follows close behind a herd of kine
thinking:
'I'm a cow too!
I'm a cow too!'
■
Just in the same way, monks,
we have some monk who follows close behind
the Order of Monks
thinking:
'I'm a monk too!
I'm a monk too!'
But he has not the desire
to undertake the training
in the higher morality
which the other monks possess,
he has not the desire
to undertake the training
in the higher thought,
which the other monks possess,
he has not the desire
to undertake the training
in the higher insight
which other monks possess.
He just follows close behind thinking:
'I'm a monk too!
I'm a monk too!'
■
Wherefore, monks, thus must ye train yourselves:
'Keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher morality:
keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher thought,
keen shall be our desire
to undertake the training
in the higher insight.'"
[1] Cf. infra, 214.
[2] Amhā. This word, not found elsewhere, seems to mean 'a cow' [=Skt. hambhā, 'a lower']. Comy. does not help, saying only aham pi gāvī. Cf. J.P.T.S. 1889 (Morris), 201, for suggestions.
