The Samyutta Nikaya
The Grouped Discourses
Samyutta
Nikaya
XIII.1
Nakhasikha
Sutta
The
Tip
of
the
Fingernail
Translated
from
the
Pali
by
Thanissaro
Bhikkhu.
I
have
heard
that
on
one
occasion
the
Blessed
One
was
staying
near
Savatthi
at
Jeta's
Grove,
Anathapindika's
monastery.
Then
the
Blessed
One,
picking
up
a
little
bit
of
dust
with
the
tip
of
his
fingernail,
said
to
the
monks,
"What
do
you
think,
monks?
Which
is
greater:
the
little
bit
of
dust
I
have
picked
up
with
the
tip
of
my
fingernail,
or
the
great
earth?"
"The
great
earth
is
far
greater,
lord.
The
little
bit
of
dust
the
Blessed
One
has
picked
up
with
the
tip
of
his
fingernail
is
next
to
nothing.
It's
not
a
hundredth,
a
thousandth,
a
one
hundred-thousandth
--
this
little
bit
of
dust
the
Blessed
One
has
picked
up
with
the
tip
of
his
fingernail
--
when
compared
with
the
great
earth."
"In
the
same
way,
monks,
for
a
disciple
of
the
noble
ones
who
is
consummate
in
view,
an
individual
who
has
broken
through
[to
stream-entry],
the
suffering
&
stress
that
is
totally
ended
&
extinguished
is
far
greater.
That
which
remains
in
the
state
of
having
at
most
seven
remaining
lifetimes
is
next
to
nothing:
it's
not
a
hundredth,
a
thousandth,
a
one
hundred-thousandth,
when
compared
with
the
previous
mass
of
suffering.
That's
how
great
the
benefit
is
of
breaking
through
to
the
Dhamma,
monks.
That's
how
great
the
benefit
is
of
obtaining
the
Dhamma
eye."
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