“Monks, suppose there was a lotus pond that was fifty kilometres long, fifty kilometres wide, and fifty kilometres deep, full to the edge 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, monks? Which is more: the water on the tip of the blade of grass, or the water in the lotus pond?”
“Bhante, 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 can’t be reckoned or compared. It’s not even a fraction.”
“Monks, in the same way, a person becomes a noble disciple with right view by understanding the Four Noble Truths. The suffering that’s over and destroyed by him is more, the suffering that’s left over is tiny.
“He’s understood, ‘This is suffering, this is the origin of suffering, this is the end of suffering and this is the path that leads to the end of suffering. Therefore, there are at most seven more lives for him.
“Compared to the mass of suffering in the past that’s over and destroyed, it can’t be reckoned or compared. It’s not even a fraction.
“Therefore, monks, you should make an effort to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the end of suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the path that leads to the end of suffering.’”
