A Lotus Pond

“Mendicants, suppose there was a lotus pond that was fifty leagues long, fifty leagues wide, and fifty leagues deep, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it.Then a person would pick up some water on the tip of a blade of grass.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena, paññāsayojanāni vitthārena, paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya.

“Mendicants, suppose there was a lotus pond that was fifty leagues long, fifty leagues wide, and fifty leagues deep, full to the brim so a crow could drink from it.“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena, paññāsayojanāni vitthārena, paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Then a person would pick up some water on the tip of a blade of grass.Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya.

What do you think, mendicants?Which is more: the water on the tip of the blade of grass, or the water in the lotus pond?”

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ—yaṁ vā kusaggena ubbhataṁ, yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan”ti?

What do you think, mendicants?Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, Which is more: the water on the tip of the blade of grass, or the water in the lotus pond?”katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ—yaṁ vā kusaggena ubbhataṁ, yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan”ti?

“Sir, the water in the lotus pond is certainly more. The water on the tip of a blade of grass is tiny.Compared to the water in the lotus pond, it doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, it’s not worth a fraction.”

“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ—pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ; appamattakaṁ kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ. Saṅkhampi na upeti, upanidhampi na upeti, kalabhāgampi na upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhatan”ti.

“Sir, the water in the lotus pond is certainly more. The water on the tip of a blade of grass is tiny.“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ—pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ; appamattakaṁ kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhataṁ. Compared to the water in the lotus pond, it doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, it’s not worth a fraction.”Saṅkhampi na upeti, upanidhampi na upeti, kalabhāgampi na upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṁ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṁ ubbhatan”ti.