9.
The Discourse on the Middling Horse
142.
"I will teach you, monks, three thoroughbred horses and three thoroughbred persons.
Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"And which, monks, are the three thoroughbred horses? Here, monks, a certain thoroughbred horse is endowed with speed; not endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth. Here again, monks, a certain thoroughbred horse is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty; not endowed with height and girth. Here again, monks, a certain thoroughbred horse is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty and endowed with height and girth. These, monks, are the three thoroughbred horses.
"And which, monks, are the three thoroughbred persons? Here, monks, a certain thoroughbred person is endowed with speed; not endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth. Here again, monks, a certain thoroughbred person is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty; not endowed with height and girth. Here again, monks, a certain thoroughbred person is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty and endowed with height and girth.
"And how, monks, is a thoroughbred person endowed with speed; not endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth? Here, monks, a monk, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This I say is his speed. But when asked a question about the higher teaching and higher discipline, he evades and does not answer. This I say is not his beauty. And he is not an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick. This I say is not his height and girth. Thus, monks, a thoroughbred person is endowed with speed; not endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth.
"And how, monks, is a thoroughbred person endowed with speed and endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth? Here, monks, a monk, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This I say is his speed. But when asked a question about the higher teaching and higher discipline, he answers and does not evade. This I say is his beauty. And he is not an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick. This I say is not his height and girth. Thus, monks, a thoroughbred person is endowed with speed; endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth.
"And how, monks, is a man-thoroughbred endowed with speed and endowed with beauty and endowed with height and girth? Here, monks, a monk, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This I say is his speed. But when asked a question about the higher teaching and higher discipline, he answers and does not evade. This I say is his beauty. And he is an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick. This I say is his height and girth. Thus, monks, a man-thoroughbred is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty and endowed with height and girth. These, monks, are the three man-thoroughbreds." The ninth.