1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then the Blessed One took up a little bit of soil in his fingernail and addressed the bhikkhus thus:

"Bhikkhus, what do you think, which is more: the little bit of soil that I have taken up in my fingernail or this great earth?"

2"Venerable sir, the great earth is more. The little bit of soil that the Blessed One has taken up in his fingernail is trifling. It does not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the great earth."

"So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough, the suffering that has been destroyed and eliminated is more, while that which remains is trifling. [n.218] The expression diṭṭhisampanna denotes one who has seen the truth of the Dhamma, beginning with the sotapannā. See the closing paragraph of SN12.27, etc. MN III 64,16–65,12, and AN III 438–40 list various qualities of the diṭṭhisampanna, e.g., being incapable of regarding any formation as permanent, etc., being incapable of parricide and matricide, etc. Spk glosses abhisametāvino: "for one who abides having made the breakthrough to the noble truths by means of wisdom" (paññāya ariyasaccani abhisametvā ṭhitassa). On abhisamaya, see n. 13.
Spk: What is the suffering that has been destroyed? That which might have arisen if the first path had not been developed. The suffering that might have arisen in the plane of misery during the next seven existences, and that which might have arisen anywhere at all beginning with the eighth rebirth—all that has been destroyed. The latter does not amount to a hundredth part, sn.ii.134 or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the former mass of suffering that has been destroyed and eliminated, as there is a maximum of seven more lives. Of such great benefit, bhikkhus, is the breakthrough to the Dhamma, of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma." [n.219] Both dhammābhisamaya and dhammacakkhupaṭilābha signify the attainment of stream-entry. On the benefit of stream-entry, see Dhp 178.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsuṁ āropetvā bhikkhū āmantesi:

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

2"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ mahāpathavī. Appamattako bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti mahāpathaviṁ upanidhāya bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa diṭṭhisampannassa puggalassa abhisametāvino etadeva bahutaraṁ dukkhaṁ yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ; appamattakaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti purimaṁ dukkhakkhandhaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ upanidhāya yadidaṁ sattakkhattuṁparamatā. Evaṁ mahatthiyo kho, bhikkhave, dhammābhisamayo; evaṁ mahatthiyo dhammacakkhupaṭilābho"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.