Saṁyutta Nikāya 13: Abhisamayasaṁyutta

Connected Discourses on the Breakthrough

1. The Fingernail

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthı̄ 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:

2“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?”

3“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.”

4“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.218 The expression diṭṭhisampanna denotes one who has seen the truth of the Dhamma, beginning with the sotāpanna. See the closing paragraph of 12:27, 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 ariyasaccāni 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, [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.”219 Both dhammābhisamaya and dhammacakkhupaṭilābha signify the attainment of stream-entry. On the benefit of stream-entry, see Dhp 178.

2. The Pond

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose there was a pond fifty yojanas long, fifty yojanas wide, and fifty yojanas deep, full of water, overflowing so that a crow could drink from it, and a man would draw out some water from it on the tip of a blade of kusa grass. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass or the water in the pond?”220 The yojana is a measure of distance roughly equal to ten kilometers. Spk explains kākapeyya (lit. “crow-drinkable”) thus: “So that it is possible for a crow, standing on the bank, to drink from it naturally by inserting its beak.”

2“Venerable sir, the water in the pond is more. The water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass is trifling. It does not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the water in the pond.”

3“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…. Of such great benefit, bhikkhus, is the breakthrough to the Dhamma, of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

3. Water at the Confluence (1)

1At Sāvatthı̄. [135] “Bhikkhus, suppose that in the place where these great rivers meet and converge—that is, the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, and the Mahı̄—a man would draw out two or three drops of water. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: these two or three drops of water that have been drawn out or the water at the confluence?”

2“Venerable sir, the water at the confluence is more. The two or three drops of water that have been drawn out are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the water at the confluence.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

4. Water at the Confluence (2)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that in the place where these great rivers meet and converge—that is, the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, and the Mahı̄—their water would be destroyed and eliminated except for two or three drops. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the water at the confluence that has been destroyed and eliminated or the two or three drops of water that remain?”

2“Venerable sir, the water at the confluence that has been destroyed and eliminated is more. The two or three drops of water that remain are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the water that has been destroyed and eliminated.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

5. The Earth (1)

1At Sāvatthı̄. [136] “Bhikkhus, suppose that a man would place seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels on the great earth. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: those seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels that have been placed there or the great earth?”

2“Venerable sir, the great earth is more. The seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the great earth.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

6. The Earth (2)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that the great earth would be destroyed and eliminated except for seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the great earth that has been destroyed and eliminated or the seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels that remain?”

2“Venerable sir, the great earth that has been destroyed and eliminated is more. The seven little balls of clay the size of jujube kernels that remain are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the great earth that has been destroyed and eliminated.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

7. The Ocean (1)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that a man would draw out two or three drops of water from the great ocean. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the two or three drops of water that have been drawn out or the water in the great ocean?” [137]

2“Venerable sir, the water in the great ocean is more. The two or three drops of water that have been drawn out are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the water in the great ocean.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

8. The Ocean (2)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that the great ocean would be destroyed and eliminated except for two or three drops of water. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the water in the great ocean that has been destroyed and eliminated or the two or three drops of water that remain?”

2“Venerable sir, the water in the great ocean that has been destroyed and eliminated is more. The two or three drops of water that remain are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the water in the great ocean that has been destroyed and eliminated.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

9. The Mountain (1)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that a man would place on the Himalayas, the king of mountains, seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds that have been placed there or the Himalayas, the king of mountains?”

2“Venerable sir, the Himalayas, the king of mountains, is more. The seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds are trifling. [138] They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the Himalayas, the king of mountains.

3“So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … of such great benefit is it to obtain the vision of the Dhamma.”

10. The Mountain (2)

1At Sāvatthı̄. “Bhikkhus, suppose that the Himalayas, the king of mountains, would be destroyed and eliminated except for seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been destroyed and eliminated or the seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds that remain?”

2“Venerable sir, the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been destroyed and eliminated is more. The seven grains of gravel the size of mustard seeds that remain are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been destroyed and eliminated.”

3“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. The latter does not amount to a hundredth part, 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.”

11. The Mountain (3)

1At Sāvatthı̄. [139] “Bhikkhus, suppose that a man would place on Sineru,221 According to early Buddhist cosmology, Sineru is the mountain at the centre of our world-sphere; the word is the Pāli counterpart of the better known Skt Meru. For a fuller picture of Buddhist cosmology, see Vism 205-7 (Ppn 7:40-44), and Ppn 7: n. 15. the king of mountains, seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans that have been placed there or Sineru, the king of mountains?”

2“Venerable sir, Sineru, the king of mountains, is more. The seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans are trifling. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of Sineru, the king of mountains.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, the achievements of ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers of other sects do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the achievement of a noble disciple, a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough. So great in achievement, bhikkhus, is a person accomplished in view, so great in direct knowledge.”222 Note that the ending here is different from the stock ending in the preceding suttas.

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