Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso yaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ tacchetvā ekajjhaṁ saṁhareyya;
“Suppose a person was to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land, gather them together into one pile,
ekajjhaṁ saṁharitvā sūlaṁ kareyya.
and make them into stakes.
Sūlaṁ karitvā ye mahāsamudde mahantakā pāṇā te mahantakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde majjhimakā pāṇā te majjhimakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā te sukhumakesu sūlesu āvuneyya.
Then they’d impale the large creatures in the ocean on large stakes; the medium-sized creatures on medium-sized stakes; and the small creatures on small stakes.
Apariyādinnā ca, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde oḷārikā pāṇā assu.
They wouldn’t run out of sizable creatures in the ocean before
Atha imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.
using up all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land.
Ito bahutarā kho, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā, ye na sukarā sūlesu āvunituṁ.
There are far more small creatures in the ocean than this, so it wouldn’t be feasible to impale them on stakes.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Sukhumattā, bhikkhave, attabhāvassa.
Because of the small size of those life-forms.
Evaṁ mahā kho, bhikkhave, apāyo.
That’s how big the plane of loss is.
Evaṁ mahantasmā kho, bhikkhave, apāyasmā parimutto diṭṭhisampanno puggalo ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.
An individual accomplished in view, exempt from that vast plane of loss, truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Suppose a person was to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land, gather them together into one pile,
and make them into stakes.
Then they’d impale the large creatures in the ocean on large stakes; the medium-sized creatures on medium-sized stakes; and the small creatures on small stakes.
They wouldn’t run out of sizable creatures in the ocean before
using up all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land.
There are far more small creatures in the ocean than this, so it wouldn’t be feasible to impale them on stakes.
Why is that?
Because of the small size of those life-forms.
That’s how big the plane of loss is.
An individual accomplished in view, exempt from that vast plane of loss, truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso yaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ tacchetvā ekajjhaṁ saṁhareyya;
ekajjhaṁ saṁharitvā sūlaṁ kareyya.
Sūlaṁ karitvā ye mahāsamudde mahantakā pāṇā te mahantakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde majjhimakā pāṇā te majjhimakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā te sukhumakesu sūlesu āvuneyya.
Apariyādinnā ca, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde oḷārikā pāṇā assu.
Atha imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.
Ito bahutarā kho, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā, ye na sukarā sūlesu āvunituṁ.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Sukhumattā, bhikkhave, attabhāvassa.
Evaṁ mahā kho, bhikkhave, apāyo.
Evaṁ mahantasmā kho, bhikkhave, apāyasmā parimutto diṭṭhisampanno puggalo ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.