AN 3.82

Gadrabhasutta

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gadrabho gogaṇaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti. Tassa na tādiso vaṇṇo hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādiso saro hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ, na tādisaṁ padaṁ hoti seyyathāpi gunnaṁ. So gogaṇaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi dammo, ahampi dammo’ti.

The Donkey

“Suppose, mendicants, a donkey followed behind a herd of cattle, thinking: ‘I can moo too! I can moo too!’ But it doesn’t look like a cow, or sound like a cow, or leave a footprint like a cow. Still it follows behind a herd of cattle, thinking: ‘I can moo too! I can moo too!’

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bhikkhusaṅghaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti. 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. So bhikkhusaṅghaṁyeva piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho hoti: ‘ahampi bhikkhu, ahampi bhikkhū’ti.

In the same way, some mendicant follows behind the mendicant Saṅgha, thinking: ‘I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’ 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. Still they follow behind the mendicant Saṇgha, thinking: ‘I’m a monk too! I’m a monk too!’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘tibbo no chando bhavissati adhisīlasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhicittasikkhāsamādāne, tibbo no chando bhavissati adhipaññāsikkhāsamādāne’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

So you should train like this: ‘We will have keen enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom.’ That’s how you should train.”