Saṁyutta Nikāya 13.2
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 13.2
1. Abhisamayavagga
1. Comprehension
Pokkharaṇīsutta
A Lotus Pond
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena paññāsayojanāni vitthārena paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā.
“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.
Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya.
Then a person would pick up some water on the tip of a blade of grass.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?
katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan”ti?
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.
“Sir, the water in the lotus pond is certainly more.
Appamattakaṁ kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ.
The water on the tip of a blade of grass is tiny.
Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhatan”ti.
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.
“In the same way, for a person with comprehension, a noble disciple accomplished in view, the suffering that’s over and done with is more, what’s left is tiny.
Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti purimaṁ dukkhakkhandhaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ upanidhāya, yadidaṁ sattakkhattuṁparamatā.
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.
Evaṁ mahatthiyo kho, bhikkhave, dhammābhisamayo; evaṁ mahatthiyo dhammacakkhupaṭilābho”ti.
That’s how very beneficial it is to comprehend the teaching and gain the vision of the teaching.”
Dutiyaṁ.