The Buddha teaches that a fine royal thoroughbred with eight factors—including endurance of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches—is worthy of a king and fit to serve a king.

AN 8.13 A Thoroughbred

“Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño bhaddo assājānīyo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca.

Yassaṁ disāyaṁ aññepi bhaddā assājānīyā jāyanti, tassaṁ disāyaṁ jāto hoti.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti allaṁ sukkhaṁ taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avikiranto.

Jegucchī hoti uccāraṁ passāvaṁ abhinisīdituṁ abhinipajjituṁ vā.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na ca aññe asse ubbejetā.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ sārathissa āvikattā hoti. Tesamassa sārathi abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.

Vāhī kho pana hoti. ‘Kāmaññe assā vahantu vā, ahamettha vahissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati. Thāmavā hoti yāva jīvitamaraṇapariyādānā thāmaṁ upadaṁsetā.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti lūkhaṁ paṇītaṁ taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avihaññamāno.

Jegucchī hoti kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena; jegucchī hoti anekavihitānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na aññe bhikkhū ubbejetā.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ āvikattā hoti satthari viññūsu sabrahmacārīsu. Tesamassa satthā viññū sabrahmacārī abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.

Sikkhitā kho pana hoti. ‘Kāmaññe bhikkhū sikkhantu vā, ahamettha sikkhissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati; tatrāyaṁ ujumaggo, seyyathidaṁ sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Āraddhavīriyo viharati: ‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ; yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ, na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

“Mendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with eight factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and reckoned a factor of kingship.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

What eight?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño bhaddo assājānīyo ubhato sujāto hoti

It’s when a fine royal thoroughbred is well born on both

mātito ca pitito ca.

the mother’s and the father’s sides.

Yassaṁ disāyaṁ aññepi bhaddā assājānīyā jāyanti, tassaṁ disāyaṁ jāto hoti.

He’s bred in the region fine thoroughbreds come from.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti

Whatever food he’s given,

allaṁ sukkhaṁ

fresh or dry,

taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avikiranto.

he eats carefully, without making a mess.

Jegucchī hoti uccāraṁ passāvaṁ abhinisīdituṁ abhinipajjituṁ vā.

He’s disgusted by sitting or lying down in excrement or urine.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na ca aññe asse ubbejetā.

He’s gentle and pleasant to live with, and he doesn’t upset the other horses.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ sārathissa āvikattā hoti.

He openly shows his tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to his trainer,

Tesamassa sārathi abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.

so the trainer can try to subdue them.

Vāhī kho pana hoti.

He carries his load, determining:

‘Kāmaññe assā vahantu vā, ahamettha vahissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.

‘Whether or not the other horses carry their loads, I’ll carry mine.’

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati.

He always walks in a straight path.

Thāmavā hoti yāva jīvitamaraṇapariyādānā thāmaṁ upadaṁsetā.

He’s strong, and stays strong even until death.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño bhaddo assājānīyo rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

A fine royal thoroughbred with these eight factors is worthy of a king. …

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa.

In the same way, a mendicant with eight qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

What eight?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

Yaṁ kho panassa bhojanaṁ denti

Whatever food they’re given,

lūkhaṁ paṇītaṁ

coarse or fine,

taṁ sakkaccaṁyeva paribhuñjati avihaññamāno.

they eat carefully, without bother.

Jegucchī hoti kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena;

They’re disgusted with bad conduct by way of body, speech, or mind,

jegucchī hoti anekavihitānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā.

and by attainment of the many kinds of unskillful things.

Sorato hoti sukhasaṁvāso, na aññe bhikkhū ubbejetā.

They’re gentle and pleasant to live with, and they don’t upset the other mendicants.

Yāni kho panassa honti sāṭheyyāni kūṭeyyāni jimheyyāni vaṅkeyyāni, tāni yathābhūtaṁ āvikattā hoti satthari viññūsu sabrahmacārīsu.

They openly show their tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to their sensible spiritual companions,

Tesamassa satthā viññū sabrahmacārī abhinimmadanāya vāyamati.

so they can try to subdue them.

Sikkhitā kho pana hoti.

They do their training, determining:

‘Kāmaññe bhikkhū sikkhantu vā, ahamettha sikkhissāmī’ti cittaṁ uppādeti.

‘Whether or not the other mendicants do their training, I’ll do mine.’

Gacchanto kho pana ujumaggeneva gacchati;

They always walk in a straight path.

tatrāyaṁ ujumaggo, seyyathidaṁ

And here the straight path is

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Āraddhavīriyo viharati:

They’re energetic:

‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ; yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ, na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.

‘Gladly, let my skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the blood and flesh waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.

A mendicant with these eight qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Aversion

Aversion

A rejecting mental quality rooted in perception, where one instinctively turns away from or resists unpleasant experiences or objects; it manifests as a tendency to push away discomfort, obstructing patience and acceptance.

Also known as: animosity, hate, hostility, fault-finding mindset, upset
Pāli: dosa, paṭighasaññā, vera
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Flexible

Flexible

A quality of the cultivated mind—malleable, workable, and free from rigidity and resistance. Akin to refined gold, a flexible mind is suitable for cultivation of direct knowledge.

Also known as: gentle, pliable, workable, malleable, yielding, ready, suitable for use
Pāli: mudu, kammañña, soracca
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Merit

Merit

Wholesome result of good conduct, generosity, and right intention. Merit brightens the mind and supports happiness and favorable conditions for practice.

Also known as: good deeds, spiritual wealth
Pāli: puñña, kalyāṇa
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Right effort

Right effort

Energy and resolve directed toward preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning arisen unwholesome states, cultivating wholesome states, and maintaining arisen wholesome states; persistent application of the mind aligned with the path.

Also known as: right endeavor, right striving
Pāli: sammāvāyāma, padhāna
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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026