1"Bhikkhus, possessing three factors a king's excellent thoroughbred horse is worthy of a king, an accessory of a king, and reckoned as a factor of kingship. What three? Here, a king's excellent thoroughbred horse possesses beauty, strength, and speed. Possessing these three factors, a king's excellent thoroughbred horse is … reckoned as a factor of kingship.

"So too, possessing three qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What three? Here, a bhikkhu possesses beauty, strength, and speed.

2(1) "And how does a bhikkhu possess beauty? Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pāṭimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. It is in this way that a bhikkhu possesses beauty.

3(2) "And how does a bhikkhu possess strength? Here, a bhikkhu arouses energy for abandoning unwholesome qualities and acquiring wholesome qualities; he is strong, firm in exertion, not casting off the duty of cultivating wholesome qualities. It is in this way that a bhikkhu possesses strength.

4(3)"And how does a bhikkhu possess speed? Here, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, a bhikkhu is one of spontaneous birth, due to attain final nibbāna there without ever returning from that world. It is in this way that a bhikkhu possesses speed.

"Possessing these three qualities, a bhikkhu is … an unsurpassed field of merit for the world."

1"Tīhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhadro assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhayaṁ gacchati. Katamehi tīhi? Idha, bhikkhave, rañño bhadro assājānīyo vaṇṇasampanno ca hoti balasampanno ca javasampanno ca. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhadro assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Katamehi tīhi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vaṇṇasampanno ca hoti balasampanno ca javasampanno ca.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vaṇṇasampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vaṇṇasampanno hoti.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu balasampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu balasampanno hoti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu javasampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu javasampanno hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.