• Numbered Discourses 3.82 Aį¹…guttara Nikāya 3.82
  • 9. Ascetics 9. Samaṇavagga

The Donkey Gadrabhasutta

ā€œSuppose, mendicants, a donkey followed behind a herd of cattle, thinking: ā€œSeyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gadrabho gogaṇaṁ piį¹­į¹­hito piį¹­į¹­hito anubandho hoti: ā€˜I can moo too! I can moo too!’ ā€˜ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti. But it doesn’t look like a cow, or sound like a cow, or leave a footprint like a cow. Tassa na tādiso vaṇṇo hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādiso saro hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādisaṁ padaṁ hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ. Still it follows behind a herd of cattle, thinking: So gogaṇaṁyeva piį¹­į¹­hito piį¹­į¹­hito anubandho hoti: ā€˜I can moo too! I can moo too!’ ā€˜ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti.

In the same way, some mendicant follows behind the mendicant Saį¹…gha, thinking: Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bhikkhusaį¹…ghaṁ piį¹­į¹­hito piį¹­į¹­hito anubandho hoti: ā€˜I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’ ā€˜ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti. But they don’t have the same enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom as the other mendicants. Tassa na tādiso chando hoti adhisÄ«lasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aƱƱesaṁ bhikkhÅ«naṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhicittasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aƱƱesaṁ bhikkhÅ«naṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhipaƱƱāsikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aƱƱesaṁ bhikkhÅ«naṁ. Still they follow behind the mendicant Saṇgha, thinking: So bhikkhusaį¹…ghaṁyeva piį¹­į¹­hito piį¹­į¹­hito anubandho hoti: ā€˜I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’ ā€˜ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti.

So you should train like this: Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ā€˜We will have keen enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.’ ā€˜tibbo no chando bhavissati adhisÄ«lasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhicittasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhipaƱƱāsikkhāsamādāne’ti. That’s how you should train.ā€ EvaƱhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbanā€ti.

Dutiyaṁ.