1"Bhikkhus, suppose that in the place where these great rivers meet and converge— that is, the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhū, and the Mahi— a man would draw out two or three drops of water. sn.v.461 What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: these two or three drops of water that have been drawn out or the water at the confluence?"

"Venerable sir, the water at the confluence is more. The two or three drops of water that have been drawn out are trifling. Compared to the water at the confluence, the two or three drops of water that have been drawn out are not calculable, do not bear comparison, do not amount even to a fraction."

"So too, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough, the suffering that has been utterly destroyed and eliminated is more, while that which remains is trifling.

Compared to the former mass of suffering that has been destroyed and eliminated, the latter is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction, as there is a maximum of seven more lives.

He is one who understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’
‘This is the origin of suffering.’
‘This is the cessation of suffering.’
‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’

"Therefore, bhikkhus, an exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is suffering.’[n.376] Tasmātiha bhikkhave idaṁ dukkhan ti yogo karaṇīyo. Spk: Since a concentrated bhikkhu understands the Four Noble Truths as they really are, therefore you should make an exertion to become concentrated in order to understand the four truths as they really are. And since the round of existence increases for those who do not penetrate them, but stops increasing from the time they are penetrated, therefore you should make an exertion to understand them, thinking, "Let the round not increase for us."
An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’
An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’
An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’"

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yatthimā mahānadiyo saṁsandanti samenti, seyyathidaṁ – gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī, tato puriso dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni uddhareyya. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ – yāni dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatāni, yaṁ vā sambhejjaudakan"ti?

"Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ – saṁbhejjaudakaṁ; appamattakāni dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatāni. Saṅkhampi na upenti, upanidhampi na upenti, kalabhāgampi na upenti saṁbhejjaudakaṁ upanidhāya dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni ubbhatānī"ti.

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

Tatiyaṁ.