Samuddasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso mahāsamuddato dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni uddhareyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yāni vā dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatāni yaṁ vā mahāsamudde udakan”ti?

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose a man was to draw up two or three drops of water from the ocean. What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the two or three drops drawn out or the water in the ocean?”

“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ mahāsamudde udakaṁ; appamattakāni dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatāni. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti mahāsamudde udakaṁ upanidhāya dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatānī”ti. “Evameva kho, bhikkhave …pe… dhammacakkhupaṭilābho”ti. Sattamaṁ.

“Sir, the water in the ocean is certainly more. The two or three drops drawn out are tiny. Compared to the water in the ocean, it’s not nearly a hundredth, a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth part.” “In the same way, for a noble disciple, the suffering that’s over and done with is more …”