“Cattārome, bhikkhave, bhadrā assājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?
“Bhikkhus, these four |noble::good, fortunate [bhadra]| thoroughbred horses are found in the world. What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro assājānīyo patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo bhadro assājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
1.) Here, bhikkhus, a certain noble thoroughbred horse, seeing the shadow of the |whip::goad, riding crop [patoda]|, is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency: ‘What will the horse trainer make me do today? How will I act accordingly?’ Such, bhikkhus, is one kind of noble thoroughbred horse present here. This, bhikkhus, is the first kind of noble thoroughbred horse found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo bhadro assājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
2.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred horse is not stirred nor experiences a sense of urgency upon seeing the shadow of the whip, but it is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its hairs are struck by the whip: ‘What will the horse trainer make me do today? How will I act accordingly?’ Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred horse present here. This, bhikkhus, is the second kind of noble thoroughbred horse found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo bhadro assājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
3.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred horse is not stirred nor experiences a sense of urgency upon seeing the shadow of the whip, nor when its hairs are struck by the whip, but it is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its hide is struck by the whip: ‘What will the horse trainer make me do today? How will I act accordingly?’ Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred horse present here. This, bhikkhus, is the third kind of noble thoroughbred horse found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo na heva kho patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati nāpi cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati, api ca kho aṭṭhivedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati: ‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro assājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho bhadro assājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
4.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred horse is not stirred nor experiences a sense of urgency upon seeing the shadow of the whip, nor when its hairs are struck by the whip, nor when its hide is struck by the whip, but it is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its bones are struck by the whip: ‘What will the horse trainer make me do today? How will I act accordingly?’ Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred horse present here. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth kind of noble thoroughbred horse found in the world.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro bhadrā assājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
Bhikkhus, these are the four noble thoroughbred horses found in the world.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattārome bhadrā purisājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?
In the same way, bhikkhus, these four noble thoroughbred persons are found in the world. What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco bhadro purisājānīyo suṇāti: ‘amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthī vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaṅkato vā’ti. So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānīyo patodacchāyaṁ disvā saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ vadāmi. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo bhadro purisājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
1.) Here, bhikkhus, a certain noble thoroughbred person hears: ‘In such and such a village or town, some woman or man is |afflicted::miserable, experiencing pain, suffering [dukkhita]| or has passed away.’ Upon hearing this, they are stirred and experience a sense of urgency. Stirred, they strive |wisely::properly, prudently, thoroughly, carefully; lit. according to the source [yoniso]|. Resolutely, they realize the |highest truth::ultimate reality [paramasacca]| through direct experience with the body and penetrating it deeply with wisdom, they see it. I say that this noble thoroughbred person is similar to the noble thoroughbred horse that is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency upon seeing the shadow of the whip. Such, bhikkhus, is one kind of noble thoroughbred person present here. This, bhikkhus, is the first kind of noble thoroughbred person found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo na heva kho suṇāti: ‘amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthī vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaṅkato vā’ti, api ca kho sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaṅkataṁ vā. So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānīyo lomavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ vadāmi. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo bhadro purisājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
2.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred person does not hear: ‘In such and such a village or town, some woman or man is afflicted or has passed away.’ Rather, he himself sees some woman or man is afflicted or has passed away. Upon seeing this, he is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency. Stirred, they strive prudently. Resolutely, they realize the highest truth through direct experience with the body and penetrating it deeply with wisdom, they see it. I say that this noble thoroughbred person is similar to the noble thoroughbred horse that is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its hairs are struck by the whip. Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred person present here. This, bhikkhus, is the second kind of noble thoroughbred person found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo na heva kho suṇāti: ‘amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthī vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaṅkato vā’ti, nāpi sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaṅkataṁ vā, api ca khvassa ñāti vā sālohito vā dukkhito vā hoti kālaṅkato vā. So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānīyo cammavedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ vadāmi. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo bhadro purisājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
3.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred person does not hear: ‘In such and such a village or town, some woman or man is afflicted or has passed away,’ nor do they personally see some woman or man who is afflicted or has passed away. Rather, a |relative::kinsman [ñāti]| or |family member::blood relative [sālohita]| of theirs is afflicted or has passed away. He is stirred by this and experiences a sense of urgency. Stirred, they strive prudently. Resolutely, they realize the highest truth through direct experience with the body and penetrating it deeply with wisdom, they see it. I say that this noble thoroughbred person is similar to the noble thoroughbred horse that is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its hide is struck by the whip. Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred person present here. This, bhikkhus, is the third kind of noble thoroughbred person found in the world.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo na heva kho suṇāti: ‘amukasmiṁ nāma gāme vā nigame vā itthī vā puriso vā dukkhito vā kālaṅkato vā’ti, nāpi sāmaṁ passati itthiṁ vā purisaṁ vā dukkhitaṁ vā kālaṅkataṁ vā, nāpissa ñāti vā sālohito vā dukkhito vā hoti kālaṅkato vā, api ca kho sāmaññeva phuṭṭho hoti sārīrikāhi vedanāhi dukkhāhi tibbāhi kharāhi kaṭukāhi asātāhi amanāpāhi pāṇaharāhi. So tena saṁvijjati, saṁvegaṁ āpajjati. Saṁviggo yoniso padahati. Pahitatto kāyena ceva paramasaccaṁ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, bhadro assājānīyo aṭṭhivedhaviddho saṁvijjati saṁvegaṁ āpajjati; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ vadāmi. Evarūpopi, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhadro purisājānīyo hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho bhadro purisājānīyo santo saṁvijjamāno lokasmiṁ.
4.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain noble thoroughbred person does not hear: ‘In such and such a village or town, some woman or man is afflicted or has passed away,’ nor do they personally see some woman or man who is afflicted or has passed away, nor is any relative or family member of theirs afflicted or has passed away. But rather, they are struck with painful bodily feelings—harsh, sharp, piercing, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. They are stirred by this and experience a sense of urgency. Stirred, they strive prudently. Resolutely, they realize the highest truth through direct experience with the body, and penetrating it deeply with wisdom, they see it. I say that this noble thoroughbred person is similar to the noble thoroughbred horse that is stirred and experiences a sense of urgency when its bones are struck by the whip. Such, bhikkhus, is also one kind of noble thoroughbred person present here. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth kind of noble thoroughbred person found in the world.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro bhadrā purisājānīyā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
Bhikkhus, these are the four noble thoroughbred persons found in the world.”