an.8.14 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Wild Colts

“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the eight kinds of wild colts and the eight faults of a horse, and I will teach you the eight kinds of persons who are like wild colts and the eight faults of a person. Listen and attend closely. I will speak.”

“Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“And what, bhikkhus, are the eight kinds of wild colts and the eight faults of a horse?

(1) “Here, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it backs up and spins the chariot around behind it. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the first fault of a horse.

(2) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it leaps back and thereby damages the rail and breaks the triple rod. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the second fault of a horse.

(3) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it loosens its thigh from the chariot pole and crushes the chariot pole. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the third fault of a horse.

(4) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it takes a wrong path and leads the chariot off the track. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the fourth fault of a horse.

(5) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it leaps up with the front of its body and churns the air with its front feet. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the fifth fault of a horse.

(6) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it does not heed its trainer or the goad but destroys the mouthbit with its teeth and sets out wherever it wishes. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the sixth fault of a horse.

(7) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it does not go forward or turn back but stands right there as still as a post. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the seventh fault of a horse.

(8) “Again, when a wild colt is told: ‘Go forward!’ and is being spurred and incited by its trainer, it tucks in its front legs and its back legs and sits down right there on all four legs. There is such a kind of wild colt here. This is the eighth fault of a horse.

“These are the eight kinds of wild colts and the eight faults of a horse.

“And what, bhikkhus, are the eight kinds of persons who are like wild colts and the eight faults of a person?

(1) “Here, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he exonerates himself by reason of lack of memory, saying: ‘I don’t remember committing such an offense.’ I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, backs up and spins the chariot around behind it. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the first fault of a person.

(2) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he castigates the reprover himself: ‘What right does an incompetent fool like you have to speak? Do you really think you have something to say?’ I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, leaps back and thereby damages the rail and breaks the triple pole. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the second fault of a person.

(3) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he attributes an offense to the reprover himself, saying: ‘You have committed such and such an offense. Make amends for it first.’ I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, loosens its thigh from the chariot pole and crushes the chariot pole. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the third fault of a person.

(4) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he answers evasively, diverts the discussion to an irrelevant subject, and displays anger, hatred, and bitterness. I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, takes a wrong path and leads the chariot off the track. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the fourth fault of a person.

(5) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he speaks while waving his arms about in the midst of the Saṅgha. I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, leaps up with the front of its body and churns the air with its front feet. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the fifth fault of a person.

(6) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he does not heed the Saṅgha or his reprover but sets out wherever he wishes while still bearing his offense. I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, does not heed its trainer or the goad but destroys the mouthbit with its teeth and sets out wherever it wishes. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the sixth fault of a person.

(7) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he does not say, ‘I committed an offense,’ nor does he say, ‘I did not commit an offense,’ but he vexes the Saṅgha by keeping silent. I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, does not go forward or turn back but stands right there as still as a post. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the seventh fault of a person.

(8) “Again, when the bhikkhus are reproving a bhikkhu for an offense, he says: ‘Why are you making such a fuss about me? Now I’ll reject the training and return to the lower life.’ He then rejects the training, returns to the lower life, and declares: ‘Now you can be satisfied!’ I say this person is similar to the wild colt that, when told: ‘Go forward!’ and when spurred and incited by its trainer, tucks in its front legs and its back legs and sits down right there on all four legs. There is such a kind of person here like a wild colt. This is the eighth fault of a person.

“These, bhikkhus, are the eight kinds of persons who are like wild colts and the eight faults of a person.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

A Wild Colt

“Mendicants, I will teach you about eight wild colts and eight defects in horses, and about eight wild people and eight defects in people.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“And what, mendicants, are the eight wild colts and eight defects in horses?
Firstly, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts back right up and spin the chariot behind them.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the first defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts jump back, wreck the hub, and break the triple rod.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the second defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts shake the cart-pole off their thigh and trample it.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the third defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts take a wrong turn, sending the chariot off track.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the fourth defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts rear up and strike out with their fore-legs.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the fifth defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts ignore the trainer and the goad, spit out the bit, and go wherever they want.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the sixth defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts don’t step forward or turn back but stand right there still as a post.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the seventh defect of a horse.
Furthermore, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, some wild colts tuck in their fore-legs and hind-legs, and sit right down on their four legs.
Some wild colts are like that.
This is the eighth defect of a horse.
These are the eight wild colts and the eight defects in horses.
And what are the eight wild people and eight defects in people?
Firstly, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant evades it by saying they don’t remember.
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, back right up and spin the chariot behind them.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the first defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant objects to the accuser:
‘What has an incompetent fool like you got to say?
How on earth could you imagine you’ve got something worth saying!’
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, jump back, wreck the hub, and break the triple rod.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the second defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant retorts to the accuser:
‘Well, you’ve fallen into such-and-such an offense. You should deal with that first.’
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, shake the cart-pole off their thigh and trample it.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the third defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant dodges the issue, distracts the discussion with irrelevant points, and displays annoyance, hate, and bitterness.
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, take a wrong turn, sending the chariot off track.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the fourth defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant gesticulates while speaking in the middle of the Saṅgha.
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, rear up and strike out with their fore-legs.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the fifth defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant ignores the Saṅgha and the accusation and, though still guilty of the offense, they go wherever they want.
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, ignore the trainer and the goad, spit out the bit, and go wherever they want.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the sixth defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant neither confesses to the offense nor denies it, but frustrates the Saṅgha by staying silent.
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, don’t step forward or turn back but stand right there still as a post.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the seventh defect of a person.
Furthermore, the mendicants accuse a mendicant of an offense.
But the accused mendicant says this:
‘Why are you venerables making so much of an issue over me? Now I’ll resign the training and return to a lesser life.’
When they have resigned the training, they say:
‘Well, venerables, are you happy now?’
I say that this person is comparable to the wild colts who, when the trainer says ‘giddyup!’ and spurs and goads them on, tuck in their fore-legs and hind-legs, and sit right down on their four legs.

Some wild people are like that.
This is the eighth defect of a person.
These are the eight wild people and eight defects in people.”