Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

8: The Book of the Eights

13. Thoroughbred

1"Bhikkhus, possessing eight 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 eight?

"Here, (1) a king's excellent thoroughbred horse is well born on both sides, maternal and paternal; he is born in whatever area other excellent thoroughbred horses are born. (2) He respectfully eats whatever food they give him, whether moist or dry, without scattering it. (3) He is repelled by sitting down or lying down near feces or urine. (4) He is mild [n.1660] In Ee, so rato should be read without the hiatus as sorato. and pleasant to live with, and he does not agitate other horses. (5) He reveals his tricks, ploys, gambits, and wiles as they really are to his trainer so that his trainer can make an effort to stamp them out of him. (6) He carries loads, determined: ‘Whether or not the other horses carry loads, I myself will carry them.’ (7) When moving, he moves only along a straight path. (8) He is strong, and he shows his strength right up until the end of his life. Possessing these eight factors, a king's excellent thoroughbred horse is worthy of a king, an accessory of a king, and reckoned as a factor of kingship.

2"So too, bhikkhus, possessing eight qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts … an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What eight?

(1) "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. (2) He respectfully eats whatever food they give him, whether coarse or excellent, without being annoyed. (3) He is repelled by bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct; he is repelled by the acquisition of the numerous kinds of bad unwholesome qualities. (4) He is mild and pleasant to live with, and he does not agitate other bhikkhus. (5) He reveals his tricks, ploys, gambits, and wiles as they really are to the Teacher or to his wise fellow monks so that they can make an effort to stamp them out of him. (6) He is one who takes up the training, determined: ‘Whether or not other bhikkhus train, I will train.’ (7) When moving, he moves only along a straight path. In this connection, this is the straight path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (8) He has aroused energy thus: ‘Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up in my body, but I will not relax my energy so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength, energy, and exertion.’ [n.1661] Also at AN2.5. Possessing these eight qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts … an unsurpassed field of merit for the world."

1"Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño bhaddo assājānīyo ubhato sujāto hoti – mātito ca pitito ca. Yassaṁ disāyaṁ aññepi bhaddā assājānīyā jāyanti, tassaṁ disāyaṁ jāto hoti. Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti – allaṁ vā sukkhaṁ vā – taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avikiranto. Jegucchī hoti uccāraṁ vā passāvaṁ vā abhinisīdituṁ vā abhinipajjituṁ vā. Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na ca aññe asse ubbejetā. Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ sārathissa āvikattā hoti. Tesamassa sārathi abhinimmadanāya vāyamati. Vāhī kho pana hoti. ‘Kāmaññe assā vahantu vā mā vā, ahamettha vahissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti. Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati. Thāmavā hoti yāva jīvitamaraṇapariyādānā thāmaṁ upadaṁsetā. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

2Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu. Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti – lūkhaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā – taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avihaññamāno. Jegucchī hoti kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena; jegucchī hoti anekavihitānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā. Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na aññe bhikkhū ubbejetā. Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ āvikattā hoti satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu. Tesamassa satthā vā viññū vā sabrahmacārī abhinimmadanāya vāyamati. Sikkhitā kho pana hoti. ‘Kāmaññe bhikkhū sikkhantu vā mā vā, ahamettha sikkhissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti. Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati; tatrāyaṁ ujumaggo, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi. Āraddhavīriyo viharati: ‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ; yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ, na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā"ti.


Tatiyaṁ.

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