• Numbered Discourses 4.113 Aį¹…guttara Nikāya 4.113
  • 12. With Kesi 12. Kesivagga

The Goad Patodasutta

ā€œMendicants, these four fine thoroughbreds are found in the world. ā€œCattārome, bhikkhave, bhadrā assājānÄ«yā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four? Katame cattāro?

One fine thoroughbred is moved to act when it sees the shadow of the goad, thinking: Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ā€˜What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’ ā€˜kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paį¹­ikaromī’ti. Some fine thoroughbreds are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the first fine thoroughbred found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paį¹­hamo bhadro assājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred isn’t moved to act when it sees the shadow of the goad, but only when its hairs are struck, thinking: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ā€˜What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’ ā€˜kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paį¹­ikaromī’ti. Some fine thoroughbreds are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the second fine thoroughbred found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo bhadro assājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred isn’t moved to act when it sees the shadow of the goad, nor when its hairs are struck, but only when its hide is struck, thinking: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ā€˜What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’ ā€˜kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paį¹­ikaromī’ti. Some fine thoroughbreds are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the third fine thoroughbred found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo bhadro assājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred isn’t moved to act when it sees the shadow of the goad, nor when its hairs are struck, nor when its hide is struck, but only when its bone is struck, thinking: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho aį¹­į¹­hivedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ā€˜What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’ ā€˜kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paį¹­ikaromī’ti. Some fine thoroughbreds are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the fourth fine thoroughbred found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho bhadro assājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

These are the four fine thoroughbreds found in the world. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro bhadrā assājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

In the same way, these four fine thoroughbred people are found in the world. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattārome bhadrā purisājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four? Katame cattāro?

One fine thoroughbred person hears about Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo suṇāti: the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town. ā€˜amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthÄ« vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaį¹…kato vā’ti. They’re moved to act by this, So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. and strive effectively. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paƱƱāya ca ativijjha passati. This individual is like the fine thoroughbred Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānÄ«yo patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; that’s shaken when it sees the shadow of the goad. tathÅ«pamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānÄ«yaṁ vadāmi. Some fine thoroughbred people are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the first fine thoroughbred person found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paį¹­hamo bhadro purisājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo na heva kho suṇāti: the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town, but they see it themselves. ā€˜amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthÄ« vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaį¹…kato vā’ti, api ca kho sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaį¹…kataṁ vā. They’re moved to act by this, So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. and strive effectively. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paƱƱāya ca ativijjha passati. This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānÄ«yo lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; when its hairs are struck. tathÅ«pamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānÄ«yaṁ vadāmi. Some fine thoroughbred people are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the second fine thoroughbred person found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo bhadro purisājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo na heva kho suṇāti: the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town, nor do they see it themselves, but it happens to their own relative or family member. ā€˜amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthÄ« vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaį¹…kato vā’ti, nāpi sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaį¹…kataṁ vā, api ca khvassa Ʊāti vā sālohito vā dukkhito vā hoti kālaį¹…kato vā. They’re moved to act by this, So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. and strive effectively. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paƱƱāya ca ativijjha passati. This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānÄ«yo cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; when its skin is struck. tathÅ«pamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānÄ«yaṁ vadāmi. Some fine thoroughbred people are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the third fine thoroughbred person found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo bhadro purisājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo na heva kho suṇāti: the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town, nor do they see it themselves, nor does it happen to their own relative or family member, but they themselves are afflicted with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. ā€˜amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthÄ« vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaį¹…kato vā’ti, nāpi sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaį¹…kataṁ vā, nāpissa Ʊāti vā sālohito vā dukkhito vā hoti kālaį¹…kato vā, api ca kho sāmaƱƱeva phuį¹­į¹­ho hoti sārÄ«rikāhi vedanāhi dukkhāhi tibbāhi kharāhi kaį¹­ukāhi asātāhi amanāpāhi pāṇaharāhi. They’re moved to act by this, So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. and strive effectively. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paƱƱāya ca ativijjha passati. This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānÄ«yo aį¹­į¹­hivedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; when its bone is struck. tathÅ«pamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānÄ«yaṁ vadāmi. Some fine thoroughbred people are like that. EvarÅ«popi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānÄ«yo hoti. This is the fourth fine thoroughbred person found in the world. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho bhadro purisājānÄ«yo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.

These are the four fine thoroughbred people found in the world.ā€ Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro bhadrā purisājānÄ«yā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasminā€ti.

Tatiyaṁ.