1"Bhikkhus, suppose a man would throw a yoke with a single hole into the great ocean, and there was a blind turtle which would come to the surface once every hundred years. What do you think, bhikkhus, would that blind turtle, coming to the surface once every hundred years, insert its neck into that yoke with a single hole?" sn.v.456

"If it would ever do so, venerable sir, it would be only after a very long time."

2"Sooner, I say, would that blind turtle, coming to the surface once every hundred years, insert its neck into that yoke with a single hole than the fool who has gone once to the nether world would regain the human state.

3For what reason? Because here, bhikkhus, there is no conduct guided by the Dhamma, no righteous conduct, no wholesome activity, no meritorious activity. Here there prevails mutual devouring, the devouring of the weak. 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 way leading to the cessation of suffering.

4"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.’"

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso mahāsamudde ekacchiggaḷaṁ yugaṁ pakkhipeyya. Tatrāpissa kāṇo kacchapo. So vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena sakiṁ sakiṁ ummujjeyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu kho kāṇo kacchapo vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena sakiṁ sakiṁ ummujjanto amusmiṁ ekacchiggaḷe yuge gīvaṁ paveseyyā"ti?

"Yadi nūna, bhante, kadāci karahaci dīghassa addhuno accayenā"ti.

2"Khippataraṁ kho so, bhikkhave, kāṇo kacchapo vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena sakiṁ sakiṁ ummujjanto amusmiṁ ekacchiggaḷe yuge gīvaṁ paveseyya, na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sakiṁ vinipātagatena bālena manussattaṁ vadāmi.

3Taṁ kissa hetu? Na hettha, bhikkhave, atthi dhammacariyā, samacariyā, kusalakiriyā, puññakiriyā. Aññamaññakhādikā ettha, bhikkhave, vattati dubbalakhādikā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Adiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa … pe … dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.

4Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Sattamaṁ.