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an.4.113 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Goad-stick

“There are these four types of excellent thoroughbred horses to be found existing in the world. Which four? There is the case where an excellent thoroughbred horse, on seeing the shadow of the goad-stick, is stirred & agitated, [thinking,] ‘I wonder what task the trainer will have me do today? What should I do in response?’ Some excellent thoroughbred horses are like this. And this is the first type of excellent thoroughbred horse to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where an excellent thoroughbred horse is not stirred & agitated on seeing the shadow of the goad-stick, but when his coat is pricked [with the goad stick] he is stirred & agitated, [thinking,] ‘I wonder what task the trainer will have me do today? What should I do in response?’ Some excellent thoroughbred horses are like this. And this is the second type of excellent thoroughbred horse to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where an excellent thoroughbred horse is not stirred & agitated on seeing the shadow of the goad-stick, or when his coat is pricked, but when his hide is pricked [with the goad stick] he is stirred & agitated, [thinking,] ‘I wonder what task the trainer will have me do today? What should I do in response?’ Some excellent thoroughbred horses are like this. And this is the third type of excellent thoroughbred horse to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where an excellent thoroughbred horse is not stirred & agitated on seeing the shadow of the goad-stick, or when his coat is pricked, or when his hide is pricked, but when his bone is pricked [with the goad stick] he is stirred & agitated, [thinking,] ‘I wonder what task the trainer will have me do today? What should I do in response?’ Some excellent thoroughbred horses are like this. And this is the fourth type of excellent thoroughbred horse to be found existing in the world.

“These are the four types of excellent thoroughbred horse to be found existing in the world.

“Now, there are these four types of excellent thoroughbred persons to be found existing in the world. Which four?

“There is the case where a certain excellent thoroughbred person hears, ‘In that town or village over there a man or woman is in pain or has died.’ He is stirred & agitated by that. Stirred, he becomes appropriately resolute. Resolute, he both realizes with his body the highest truth and, having penetrated it with discernment, sees. This type of excellent thoroughbred person, I tell you, is like the excellent thoroughbred horse who, on seeing the shadow of the goad-stick, is stirred & agitated. Some excellent thoroughbred people are like this. And this is the first type of excellent thoroughbred person to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where a certain excellent thoroughbred person does not hear, ‘In that town or village over there a man or woman is in pain or has died.’ But he himself sees a man or woman in pain or dead. He is stirred & agitated by that. Stirred, he becomes appropriately resolute. Resolute, he both realizes with his body the highest truth and, having penetrated it with discernment, sees. This type of excellent thoroughbred person, I tell you, is like the excellent thoroughbred horse who, when its coat is pricked with the goad-stick, is stirred & agitated. Some excellent thoroughbred people are like this. And this is the second type of excellent thoroughbred person to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where a certain excellent thoroughbred person does not hear, ‘In that town or village over there a man or woman is in pain or has died.’ And he himself does not see a man or woman in pain or dead. But he sees one of his own blood relatives in pain or dead. He is stirred & agitated by that. Stirred, he becomes appropriately resolute. Resolute, he both realizes with his body the highest truth and, having penetrated it with discernment, sees. This type of excellent thoroughbred person, I tell you, is like the excellent thoroughbred horse who, when its hide is pricked with the goad-stick, is stirred & agitated. Some excellent thoroughbred people are like this. And this is the third type of excellent thoroughbred person to be found existing in the world.

“Then again there is the case where a certain excellent thoroughbred person does not hear, ‘In that town or village over there a man or woman is in pain or has died.’ And he himself does not see a man or woman in pain or dead, nor does he see one of his own blood relatives in pain or dead. But he himself is touched by bodily feelings that are painful, fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent, disagreeable, life-threatening. He is stirred & agitated by that. Stirred, he becomes appropriately resolute. Resolute, he both realizes with his body the highest truth and, having penetrated it with discernment, sees. This type of excellent thoroughbred person, I tell you, is like the excellent thoroughbred horse who, when its bone is pricked with the goad-stick, is stirred & agitated. Some excellent thoroughbred people are like this. And this is the fourth type of excellent thoroughbred person to be found existing in the world.

“These are the four types of excellent thoroughbred persons to be found existing in the world.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera


The Goad

“Mendicants, these four fine thoroughbreds are found in the world.
What four?
One fine thoroughbred is moved to act when it sees the shadow of the goad, thinking:
‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’
Some fine thoroughbreds are like that.
This is the first fine thoroughbred found in the world.
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:
‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’
Some fine thoroughbreds are like that.
This is the second fine thoroughbred found in the world.
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:
‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’
Some fine thoroughbreds are like that.
This is the third fine thoroughbred found in the world.
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:
‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’
Some fine thoroughbreds are like that.
This is the fourth fine thoroughbred found in the world.
These are the four fine thoroughbreds found in the world.
In the same way, these four fine thoroughbred people are found in the world.
What four?
One fine thoroughbred person hears about
the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town.
They’re moved to act by this,
and strive effectively.
Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom.
This person is like the fine thoroughbred
that’s shaken when it sees the shadow of the goad.
Some fine thoroughbred people are like that.
This is the first fine thoroughbred person found in the world.
Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about
the suffering or death of a woman or man in such and such village or town, but they see it themselves.
They’re moved to act by this,
and strive effectively.
Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom.
This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act
when its hairs are struck.
Some fine thoroughbred people are like that.
This is the second fine thoroughbred person found in the world.
Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about
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.
They’re moved to act by this,
and strive effectively.
Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom.
This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act
when its skin is struck.
Some fine thoroughbred people are like that.
This is the third fine thoroughbred person found in the world.
Furthermore, one fine thoroughbred person doesn’t hear about
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.
They’re moved to act by this,
and strive effectively.
Applying themselves, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom.
This person is like the fine thoroughbred that’s moved to act
when its bone is struck.
Some fine thoroughbred people are like that.
This is the fourth fine thoroughbred person found in the world.
These are the four fine thoroughbred people found in the world.”