Aṇguttara 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

Khaḷuṇka Suttaṃ

The Excitable Steed

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

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[266]

[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."

 

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^[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.