1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, there are places where the great rivers—the Ganges, Yamuna, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, and Mahī—come together and converge. Suppose that water dried up and evaporated except for two or three drops.

What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the water in the confluence that has dried up and evaporated, or the two or three drops left?”

2“Sir, the water in the confluence that has dried up and evaporated is certainly more. The two or three drops left are tiny. Compared to the water in the confluence that has dried up and evaporated, it’s not nearly a hundredth, a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth part.”

“In the same way, for a noble disciple, the suffering that’s over and done with is more …”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.

"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yatthimā mahānadiyo saṁsandanti samenti, seyyathidaṁ – gaṅgā yamunā aciravatī sarabhū mahī, taṁ udakaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya ṭhapetvā dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā sambhejjaudakaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ yāni vā dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni avasiṭṭhānī"ti?

2"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ sambhejjaudakaṁ yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ; appamattakāni dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni avasiṭṭhāni. Neva satimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na sahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti na satasahassimaṁ kalaṁ upenti sambhejjaudakaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādiṇṇaṁ upanidhāya dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni avasiṭṭhānī"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave … pe … dhammacakkhupaṭilābho"ti.

Catutthaṁ.