{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an8.13/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an8.13","id":"suttacentral_an8.13","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an8.13/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with eight factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and reckoned a factor of kingship. What eight? It\u2019s when a fine royal thoroughbred is well born on both the mother\u2019s and the father\u2019s sides. He\u2019s bred in the region fine thoroughbreds come from. Whatever food he\u2019s given, fresh or dry, he eats carefully, without making a mess. He\u2019s disgusted by sitting or lying down in excrement or urine. He\u2019s gentle and pleasant to live with, and he doesn\u2019t upset the other horses. He openly shows his tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to his trainer, so the trainer can try to subdue them. He carries his load, determining: \u2018Whether or not the other horses carry their loads, I\u2019ll carry mine.\u2019 He always walks in a straight path. He\u2019s strong, and stays strong even until death. A fine royal thoroughbred with these eight factors is worthy of a king. \u2026 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. What eight? It\u2019s 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\u2019ve undertaken. Whatever food they\u2019re given, coarse or fine, they eat carefully, without bother. They\u2019re disgusted with bad conduct by way of body, speech, or mind, and by attainment of the many kinds of unskillful things. They\u2019re gentle and pleasant to live with, and they don\u2019t upset the other mendicants. They openly show their tricks, bluffs, ruses, and feints to their sensible spiritual companions, so they can try to subdue them. They do their training, determining: \u2018Whether or not the other mendicants do their training, I\u2019ll do mine.\u2019 They always walk in a straight path. And here the straight path is right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. They\u2019re energetic: \u2018Gladly, 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.\u2019 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.\u201d","title":"A Thoroughbred","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":425}