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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN56: Connected Discourses on the Truths

SN56:61 Elsewhere

1Then the Blessed One took up a little bit of soil in his fingernail and addressed the bhikkhus thus:

1Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsuṁ āropetvā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the little bit of soil in my fingernail or the great earth?" sn.v.466

"taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ – yo vāyaṁ mayā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito, ayaṁ vā mahāpathavī"ti?

"Venerable sir, the great earth is more. The little bit of soil that the Blessed One has taken up in his fingernail is trifling. Compared to the great earth, that little bit of soil is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction."

"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ – mahāpathavī; appamattakāyaṁ bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito. Saṅkhampi na upeti, upanidhampi na upeti, kalabhāgampi na upeti mahāpathaviṁ upanidhāya bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito"ti.

2"So too, bhikkhus, those beings are few who are reborn among human beings. But those beings are more numerous who are reborn elsewhere than among human beings.[n.414] This is also at AN1.334, but without the connection to the Four Noble Truths. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, they have not seen the Four Noble Truths. What four? The noble truth of suffering, the noble truth of the origin of suffering, the noble truth of the cessation of suffering, the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

2"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appamattakā te sattā ye manussesu paccājāyanti; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye aññatra manussehi paccājāyanti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Adiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa … pe … dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.

3"Therefore, bhikkhus, an exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ … An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’"

3Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.