5.
The Diligence Discourse
15.
"As far as there are beings, monks, whether footless or two-footed or four-footed or many-footed, whether material or immaterial, whether percipient or non-percipient or neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient, the Truth-finder is declared the foremost among them, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
so too, monks, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them are rooted in diligence, converge in diligence.
Diligence is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, monks, whatever kinds of footprints there are of living beings that walk on the ground, all of them are included in the elephant's footprint, the elephant's footprint is declared the foremost among them, that is to say, in terms of its greatness; so too, monks, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them are rooted in diligence, converge in diligence. Diligence is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, monks, whatever rafters there are of a pinnacle building, all of them go to the pinnacle, slope towards the pinnacle, converge at the pinnacle, the pinnacle is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them are rooted in diligence, converge in diligence. Diligence is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, monks, whatever root odours there are, black orris is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, whatever heartwood odours there are, red sandalwood is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, whatever flower odours there are, jasmine is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, whatever petty kings there are, all of them become followers of a wheel-turning monarch, the wheel-turning monarch is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, whatever radiance there is of the stars, all of it is not worth a sixteenth fraction of the radiance of the moon, the radiance of the moon is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, the sun ascending into the sky, having dispelled all the darkness in space, shines and burns and is brilliant; so too, monks, etc.
"Just as, monks, whatever great rivers there are, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī, all of them go to the ocean, slope towards the ocean, incline towards the ocean, tend towards the ocean, the great ocean is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them are rooted in diligence, converge in diligence. Diligence is declared the foremost among them." The fifth.