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

AN 3.82 The Donkey

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gadrabho gogaṇaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti. Tassa na tādiso vaṇṇo hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādiso saro hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādisaṁ padaṁ hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ. So gogaṇaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bhikkhusaṅghaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti. Tassa na tādiso chando hoti adhisīlasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhicittasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhipaññāsikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ. So bhikkhusaṅghaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘tibbo no chando bhavissati adhisīlasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhicittasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhipaññāsikkhāsamādāne’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gadrabho gogaṇaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti:

“Suppose, mendicants, a donkey followed behind a herd of cattle, thinking:

‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti.

‘I can moo too! I can moo too!’

Tassa na tādiso vaṇṇo hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādiso saro hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādisaṁ padaṁ hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ.

But it doesn’t look like a cow, or sound like a cow, or leave a footprint like a cow.

So gogaṇaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti:

Still it follows behind a herd of cattle, thinking:

‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti.

‘I can moo too! I can moo too!’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bhikkhusaṅghaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti:

In the same way, some mendicant follows behind the mendicant Saṅgha, thinking:

‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti.

‘I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’

Tassa na tādiso chando hoti adhisīlasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhicittasikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, na tādiso chando hoti adhipaññāsikkhāsamādāne seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ.

But they don’t have the same enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom as the other mendicants.

So bhikkhusaṅghaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti:

Still they follow behind the mendicant Saṇgha, thinking:

‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti.

‘I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

So you should train like this:

‘tibbo no chando bhavissati adhisīlasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhicittasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhipaññāsikkhāsamādāne’ti.

‘We will have keen enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

That’s how you should train.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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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