9. Samaṇavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.82

Numbered Discourses 3.82

9. Samaṇavagga

9. Ascetics

Gadrabhasutta

The Donkey

“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.