1“Mendicants, suppose the Himalayas, the king of mountains, was worn away and eroded except for seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds.

What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been worn away and eroded, or the seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds that are left?”

“Sir, the portion of the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that has been worn away and eroded is certainly more. The seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds are tiny. Compared to the Himalayas, they can’t be reckoned or compared, they’re not even a fraction.”

“In the same way, for a person with comprehension, a noble disciple accomplished in view, the suffering that’s over and done with is more, what’s left is tiny. Compared to the mass of suffering in the past that’s over and done with, it can’t be reckoned or compared, it’s not even a fraction, since there are at most seven more lives. Such a person truly understands about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

2That’s why you should practice meditation …”

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, himavā pabbatarājā parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, ṭhapetvā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ – yaṁ vā himavato pabbatarājassa parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādinnaṁ, yā vā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā"ti?

"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ himavato pabbatarājassa yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādinnaṁ; appamattikā satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā. Saṅkhampi na upenti, upanidhampi na upenti, kalabhāgampi na upenti himavato pabbatarājassa parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādinnaṁ upanidhāya satta sāsapamattiyo pāsāṇasakkharā avasiṭṭhā"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa diṭṭhisampannassa puggalassa abhisametāvino etadeva bahutaraṁ dukkhaṁ yadidaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādinnaṁ; appamattakaṁ avasiṭṭhaṁ. Saṅkhampi na upeti, upanidhampi na upeti, kalabhāgampi na upeti, purimaṁ dukkhakkhandhaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ pariyādinnaṁ upanidhāya yadidaṁ sattakkhattuparamatā; yo ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

2Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Dasamaṁ.
Abhisamayavaggo chaṭṭho.

3Nakhasikhā pokkharaṇī,
sambhejja apare duve;
Pathavī dve samuddā dve,
dvemā ca pabbatūpamāti.