Assakhaḷuṅkasutta

“Tayo ca, bhikkhave, assakhaḷuṅke desessāmi tayo ca purisakhaḷuṅke. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, I will teach you about three wild colts and three wild people. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo assakhaḷuṅkā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco assakhaḷuṅko javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco assakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco assakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca. Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo assakhaḷuṅkā.

“What are the three wild colts? One wild colt is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned. Another wild colt is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned. While another wild colt is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned. These are the three wild colts.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo purisakhaḷuṅkā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

And what are the three wild people? One wild person is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned. Another wild person is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned. While another wild person is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno na ārohapariṇāhasampanno? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi. Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho saṁsādeti, no vissajjeti. Idamassa na vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi. Na kho pana lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Idamassa na ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno.

And how is a wild person fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. This is how they’re fast, I say. But when asked a question about the teaching or training, they falter without answering. This is how they’re not beautiful, I say. And they don’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re not well proportioned, I say. This is how a wild person is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi. Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho vissajjeti, no saṁsādeti. Idamassa vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi. Na pana lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Idamassa na ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno.

And how is a wild person fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. This is how they’re fast, I say. When asked a question about the teaching or training, they answer without faltering. This is how they’re beautiful, I say. But they don’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re not well proportioned, I say. This is how a wild person is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi. Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho vissajjeti, no saṁsādeti. Idamassa vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi. Lābhī kho pana hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Idamassa ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, purisakhaḷuṅko javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca. Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo purisakhaḷuṅkā”ti. Aṭṭhamaṁ.

And how is a wild person fast, beautiful, and well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. This is how they’re fast, I say. When asked a question about the teaching or training, they answer without faltering. This is how they’re beautiful, I say. They receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re well proportioned, I say. This is how a wild person is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned. These are the three wild people.”