1At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in a rosewood forest. Then the Buddha picked up a few rosewood leaves in his hand and addressed the mendicants: “What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the few leaves in my hand, or those in the forest above me?”

“Sir, the few leaves in your hand are a tiny amount. There are far more leaves in the forest above.”

“In the same way, there is much more that I have directly known but have not explained to you. What I have explained is a tiny amount. And why haven’t I explained it? Because it’s not beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why I haven’t explained it.

2And what have I explained? I have explained: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

3And why have I explained this? Because it’s beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why I’ve explained it.

4That’s why you should practice meditation …”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ vihārati sīsapāvane. Atha kho bhagavā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahetvā bhikkhū āmantesi: "taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ – yāni vā mayā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni yadidaṁ upari sīsapāvane"ti?

"Appamattakāni, bhante, bhagavatā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni; atha kho etāneva bahutarāni yadidaṁ upari sīsapāvane"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, etadeva bahutaraṁ yaṁ vo mayā abhiññāya anakkhātaṁ. Kasmā cetaṁ, bhikkhave, mayā anakkhātaṁ? Na hetaṁ, bhikkhave, atthasaṁhitaṁ nādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati; tasmā taṁ mayā anakkhātaṁ.

2Kiñca, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṁ? ‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṁ, ‘Ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti mayā akkhātaṁ, ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti mayā akkhātaṁ, ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti mayā akkhātaṁ.

3Kasmā cetaṁ, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṁ? Etañhi, bhikkhave, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ etaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati; tasmā taṁ mayā akkhātaṁ.

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

Paṭhamaṁ.