The Buddha teaches on the thoroughbred, presenting a threefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 3.142 The Thoroughbred

“Tayo ca, bhikkhave, bhadre assājānīye desessāmi tayo ca bhadre purisājānīye. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā assājānīyā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro assājānīyo …pe… javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā assājānīyā.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā purisājānīyā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro purisājānīyo …pe… javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhadro purisājānīyo …pe… javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. 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, bhadro purisājānīyo javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā purisājānīyā”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tayo ca, bhikkhave, bhadre assājānīye desessāmi tayo ca bhadre purisājānīye.

“Mendicants, I will teach you the three fine thoroughbred horses, and the three fine thoroughbred people.

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā assājānīyā?

“What are the three fine thoroughbred horses?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro assājānīyo …pe…

One fine thoroughbred horse …

javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā assājānīyā.

These are the three fine thoroughbred horses.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā purisājānīyā?

And what are the three fine thoroughbred people?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro purisājānīyo …pe…

One fine thoroughbred person …

javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhadro purisājānīyo …pe…

And how is a fine thoroughbred person …

javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca?

fast, beautiful, and well proportioned?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi.

This is how they’re fast, I say.

Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho vissajjeti, no saṁsādeti.

When asked a question about the teaching or training, they answer without faltering.

Idamassa vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi.

This is how they’re beautiful, I say.

Lābhī kho pana hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.

They receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

Idamassa ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi.

This is how they’re well proportioned, I say.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhadro purisājānīyo javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

This is how a fine thoroughbred person is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo bhadrā purisājānīyā”ti.

These are the three fine thoroughbred people.”

Dasamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026