SN 13.2

Pokkharaṇīsutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena paññāsayojanāni vitthārena paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan”ti?

A Lotus Pond

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose there was a lotus pond that was fifty leagues long, fifty leagues wide, and fifty leagues deep, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it. Then a person would pick up some water on the tip of a blade of grass. What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the water on the tip of the blade of grass, or the water in the lotus pond?”

“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ. Appamattakaṁ kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhatan”ti.

“Sir, the water in the lotus pond is certainly more. The water on the tip of a blade of grass is tiny. Compared to the water in the lotus pond, 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 an individual with comprehension, a noble disciple accomplished in view, 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.”