6.

The Chapter on Full realisation

1.

The Discourse on the Fingernail

1121. Then the Blessed One, having placed a small amount of soil on his fingernail, addressed the monks - "What do you think, monks, which is more - this small amount of soil placed by me on my fingernail, or this great earth?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the great earth; the small amount of soil placed by the Blessed One on his fingernail is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - the small amount of soil placed by the Blessed One on his fingernail compared with the great earth." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in right view, one who has fully realised, this indeed is more suffering, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; what remains is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - compared with the former mass of suffering that has been eliminated and brought to an end, that is to say, having seven rebirths at the utmost; one who understands as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. one who understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"

"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The first.

2.

The Discourse on the Pond

1122. "Just as, monks, there might be a pond fifty yojanas in length, fifty yojanas in breadth, fifty yojanas in depth, full of water, filled to the brim so that a crow could drink from it. From that a man might draw up water with the tip of a blade of kusa grass. What do you think, monks, which is more - the water drawn up with the tip of a blade of kusa grass or the water in the pond?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the water in the pond; the water drawn up with the tip of a blade of kusa grass is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - compared with the water in the pond, the water drawn up with the tip of a blade of kusa grass." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The second.

3.

The First Discourse on the Confluence

1123. "Just as, monks, where these great rivers flow together and meet, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī - from there a man might draw up two or three drops of water. What do you think, monks, which is more - the two or three drops of water drawn up or the water at the confluence?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the water at the confluence; the two or three drops of water drawn up are trifling. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - compared with the water at the confluence, the two or three drops of water drawn up." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The third.

4.

The Second Discourse on the Confluence

1124. "Just as, monks, where these great rivers flow together and meet, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī - that water would be eliminated and brought to an end, except for two or three drops of water. What do you think, monks, which is more - the water at the confluence that has been eliminated and brought to an end, or the two or three drops of water remaining?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, the water at the confluence, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; the two or three drops of water remaining are trifling. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - compared with the water at the confluence that has been eliminated and brought to an end, the two or three drops of water remaining." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The fourth.

5.

The First Discourse on the Great Earth

1125. "Just as, monks, a man might place down seven clay balls the size of jujube stones on the great earth. What do you think, monks, which is more - the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones placed down, or this great earth?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the great earth; the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones placed down are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones placed down compared with the great earth." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The fifth.

6.

The Second Discourse on the Great Earth

1126. "Just as, monks, the great earth would be eliminated and brought to an end, except for seven clay balls the size of jujube stones. What do you think, monks, which is more - what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the great earth, or the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones remaining?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, of the great earth, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones remaining are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven clay balls the size of jujube stones remaining compared with what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the great earth." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The sixth.

7.

The First Discourse on the Great Ocean

1127. "Just as, monks, a man might draw up two or three drops of water from the great ocean. What do you think, monks, which is more - the two or three drops of water drawn up or the water in the great ocean?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the water in the great ocean; the two or three drops of water drawn up are trifling. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - compared with the water in the great ocean, the two or three drops of water drawn up." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The seventh.

8.

The Second Discourse on the Great Ocean

1128. "Just as, monks, the water in the great ocean would be eliminated and brought to an end, except for two or three drops of water. What do you think, monks, which is more - the water in the great ocean that has been eliminated and brought to an end, or the two or three drops of water remaining?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, the water in the great ocean, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; the two or three drops of water remaining are trifling. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - compared with the water in the great ocean that has been eliminated and brought to an end, the two or three drops of water remaining." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The eighth.

9.

The First Discourse on the Mountain Simile

1129. "Just as, monks, a man might place down seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds beside the Himalaya, the king of mountains. What do you think, monks, which is more - the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds placed down, or this Himalaya, the king of mountains?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - the Himalaya, the king of mountains; the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds placed down are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds placed down compared with the Himalaya, the king of mountains." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, etc. exertion is to be done." The ninth.

10.

The Second Discourse on the Mountain Simile

1130. "Just as, monks, the Himalaya, the king of mountains, would be eliminated and brought to an end, except for seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds. What do you think, monks, which is more - what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the Himalaya, the king of mountains, or the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more of the Himalaya, the king of mountains, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining compared with what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the Himalaya, the king of mountains." "So too, monks, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in right view, one who has fully realised, this indeed is more suffering, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; what remains is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - compared with the former mass of suffering that has been eliminated and brought to an end, that is to say, having seven rebirths at the utmost; one who understands as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. one who understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"

"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The tenth.

The Chapter on Full realisation is the sixth.

Its summary: