1“Mendicants, I will teach you the three excellent horses and the three excellent people. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“What are the three excellent horses? One excellent horse is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned. Another excellent horse is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned. While another excellent horse is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

These are the three excellent horses.

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3“What are the three excellent people? One excellent person is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned. Another excellent person is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned. While another excellent person is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

4And how is an excellent person fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously. They’re extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This is how they’re fast, I say. But when asked a question about the teaching or training, they falter without answering. This is how they’re not beautiful, I say. And they don’t receive robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re not well proportioned, I say. This is how an excellent person is fast, but not beautiful or well proportioned.

5And how is an excellent person fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously. They’re extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This is how they’re fast, I say. When asked a question about the teaching or training, they answer without faltering. This is how they’re beautiful, I say. But they don’t receive robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re not well proportioned, I say. This is how an excellent person is fast and beautiful, but not well proportioned.

6And how is an excellent person fast, beautiful, and well proportioned? It’s when a mendicant, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously. They’re extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This is how they’re fast, I say. When asked a question about the teaching or training, they answer without faltering. This is how they’re beautiful, I say. They receive robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. This is how they’re well proportioned, I say. This is how an excellent person is fast, beautiful, and well proportioned.

These are the three excellent people.”

1"Tayo ca, bhikkhave, assaparasse desessāmi tayo ca purisaparasse. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

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

2"Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo assaparassā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco assaparasso javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco assaparasso javasampanno hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco assaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo assaparassā.

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3Katame ca, bhikkhave, tayo purisaparassā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco purisaparasso javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca; na ārohapariṇāhasampanno. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisaparasso javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi. Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho saṁsādeti, no vissajjeti. Idamassa na vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi. Na kho pana lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Idamassa na ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, purisaparasso javasampanno hoti; na vaṇṇasampanno, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. Idamassa javasmiṁ vadāmi. Abhidhamme kho pana abhivinaye pañhaṁ puṭṭho vissajjeti, no saṁsādeti. Idamassa vaṇṇasmiṁ vadāmi. Na kho pana lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Idamassa na ārohapariṇāhasmiṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti; vaṇṇasampanno ca, na ārohapariṇāhasampanno.

6Kathañca, bhikkhave, purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. 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, purisaparasso javasampanno ca hoti vaṇṇasampanno ca ārohapariṇāhasampanno ca.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo purisaparassā"ti.

Navamaṁ.