“Bhikkhus, suppose a man were to place seven small pebbles, each the size of a mung bean, beside Mount Sineru, the king of mountains.
What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is greater — those seven small pebbles, each the size of a mung bean, that have been placed, or Mount Sineru, the king of mountains?
Venerable sir, the Mount Sineru, the king of mountains, is certainly far greater. The seven small pebbles, each the size of a mung bean, are insignificant. They do not come close in comparison, they do not approach in measure, they do not even amount to a fraction when compared to Mount Sineru, the king of mountains.
In the same way, bhikkhus, for a noble disciple, one endowed with right view, who has attained |full understanding::understanding the four noble truths in principle, then discerning them in each moment and then experientially penetrating them|, the suffering that has been eradicated and exhausted is indeed far greater, while what little remains is insignificant. It does not come close in comparison, does not approach in measure, does not even amount to a fraction when compared to the mass of suffering that has already been eradicated and exhausted. This refers to someone who is capable of at most seven more rebirths, who understands, as it truly is: ‘This is |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|’; understands, as it truly is: ‘This is the |arising of suffering::source of stress, appearance of discomfort [dukkhasamudaya]|’; understands, as it truly is: ‘This is the |ending of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|’; and understands, as it truly is: ‘This is the |way of practice leading to the ending of suffering::i.e. the noble eightfold path [dukkhanirodhagāmī]|.’
Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to |fully understand::understand in principle, then discern in each moment and then experientially penetrate|: ‘This is suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the arising of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the ending of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering.’”