SN 13.10

Dutiyapabbatasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, himavā pabbatarājā parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, ṭhapetvā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā himavato pabbatarājassa parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ yā vā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā”ti?

A Mountain (2nd)

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose the Himalayas, the king of mountains, was worn away and eroded except seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds. What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been worn away and eroded, or the seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds that are left?”

“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ himavato pabbatarājassa yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ; appamattikā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti himavato pabbatarājassa parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ upanidhāya satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā”ti.

“Sir, the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been worn away and eroded is certainly more. The seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds are tiny. Compared to the Himalayas, it’s not nearly a hundredth, a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth part.”

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa diṭṭhisampannassa puggalassa abhisametāvino etadeva bahutaraṁ dukkhaṁ yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ; appamattakaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti purimaṁ dukkhakkhandhaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ upanidhāya yadidaṁ sattakkhattuṁparamatā. Evaṁ mahatthiyo kho, bhikkhave, dhammābhisamayo, evaṁ mahatthiyo dhammacakkhupaṭilābho”ti.

“In the same way, for a noble disciple accomplished in view, an individual with comprehension, the suffering that’s over and done with is more, what’s left is tiny. Compared to the mass of suffering in the past that’s over and done with, it’s not nearly a hundredth, a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth part, since there are at most seven more lives. That’s how very beneficial it is to comprehend the teaching and gain the vision of the teaching.”