1At Sāvatthī. "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?"[n.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.[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, 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.

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena paññāsayojanāni vitthārena paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan"ti?

2"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ. Appamattakaṁ kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhatan"ti.

3"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.

Dutiyaṁ.