10.
The Second Discourse on the Mountain
83.
He was dwelling at Sāvatthī, etc.
"Just as, monks, the Himalaya, the king of mountains, would be eliminated and brought to an end, except for seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds.
What do you think, monks, which is more, what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the Himalaya, the king of mountains, or the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining?"
"This indeed, venerable sir, is more of the Himalaya, the king of mountains, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining are insignificant. They do not amount to a hundredth fraction, they do not amount to a thousandth fraction, they do not amount to a hundred-thousandth fraction - the seven stone pebbles the size of mustard seeds remaining compared with what has been eliminated and brought to an end of the Himalaya, the king of mountains."
"So too, monks, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in right view, one who has fully realised, this indeed is more suffering, that is to say, what has been eliminated and brought to an end; what remains is insignificant. It does not amount to a hundredth fraction, it does not amount to a thousandth fraction, it does not amount to a hundred-thousandth fraction - compared with the former mass of suffering that has been eliminated and brought to an end, that is to say, having seven rebirths at the utmost. Thus of great benefit, monks, is the full realisation of the teaching; thus of great benefit is the attainment of the eye of the teaching." The tenth.