6.
The Discourse on Living Beings
1106.
"Just as, monks, if a man were to pare whatever grass, sticks, branches and leaves there are in this Indian subcontinent and collect them together;
having collected them together, he might make them into stakes.
Having made them into stakes, whatever large creatures there are in the great ocean, he might string them on large stakes; whatever medium-sized creatures there are in the great ocean, he might string them on medium-sized stakes; whatever subtle creatures there are in the great ocean, he might string them on subtle stakes.
Yet, monks, the gross creatures in the great ocean would not be exhausted.
"Then the grass, sticks, branches and leaves in this Indian subcontinent would be eliminated and brought to an end. More numerous than these, monks, are the subtle creatures in the great ocean, which are not easy to string on stakes. What is the reason for this? Because of the subtleness of their individual existence, monks. Thus great, monks, is the realm of misery. Released from such a great realm of misery, monks, a person accomplished in right view understands as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. he understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The sixth.