Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
One rung above the wild colts, the same three qualities recur, but speed now names non-return rather than the bare understanding of the four truths.
What stays exactly the same
Beauty and good proportion keep their AN 3.140 definitions without change: answering under questioning without faltering, and actually receiving material support. Comparing the two discourses side by side, only one clause differs, and it is worth reading them as a matched pair rather than as two unrelated teachings.
What speed now means: the five lower fetters
“With the ending of the five lower fetters, reborn spontaneously, extinguished there, not liable to return from that world” is the technical description of a non-returner, anāgāmī. This is the same destination named in AN 3.127’s closing verse for Hatthaka, gone to the Aviha realm, and in AN 4.124 and AN 4.126, already on this site: the pure abodes, reserved exclusively for this attainment.
A significant jump between grades
The distance between AN 3.140’s baseline — understanding the four truths — and this discourse’s non-return is considerable. Understanding the four truths is describable as an intellectual and experiential grasp; non-return is the ending of the five lower fetters outright, one stage short of full liberation. The set is not moving in small, even steps.
Beauty and proportion, still independent of the attainment
Even at this elevated level, the discourse holds open the possibility that a non-returner might falter when questioned, or might go without adequate material support. The same honesty AN 3.140 shows about material neglect persists here: high attainment does not automatically produce either articulacy or provision.
One more rung to go
AN 3.142, immediately next, will raise speed a final time to the ending of defilements, arahantship — and, notably, will collapse the three sub-grades into one, since a thoroughbred by definition already has beauty and proportion along with its speed.
Key terms
The text
Three excellent horses, three excellent people
§1“Mendicants, I will teach you the three excellent horses and the three excellent people. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “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. “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.
Fast alone
§2And 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, almsfood, 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.
Fast and beautiful
§3And 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, almsfood, 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.
Fast, beautiful, and well proportioned
§4And 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, almsfood, 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.”
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