1"Bhikkhus, suppose there were a pond fifty yojanas long, fifty yojanas wide, and fifty yojanas deep, full of water, overflowing so that a crow could drink from it, and a man would draw out some water from it on the tip of a blade of kusa grass. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass or the water in the pond?"

"Venerable sir, the water in the pond is more. The water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass is trifling. Compared to the water in the pond, the water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction."

"So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple … Therefore an exertion should be made. … "

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena, paññāsayojanāni vitthārena, paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṁ uddhareyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ – yaṁ vā kusaggena ubbhataṁ, yaṁ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan"ti?

"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.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa … pe … yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.