The Fingernail

I HEAR TELL:

Once upon a time, Bhagava, round Savatthi revisiting, Jeta woods, Anathapindika's park
There, Bhagava raised up an itty-bitti-bit-a dust on a nail-tip and said to the Beggars:

Now what do you think, Beggars?

Which is the greater,
that bit of dust I have taken and raised up on my nail-tip
or this great Earth?

That which is greater, bhante,
is this great Earth
of small measure is that bit of dust
Bhagava has raised up on his nail-tip
not even a hundredth part does it come to,
not a thousandth part,
not a hundred-thousandth part
does that bit of dust
Bhagava has raised up on his nail-tip come to
compared with this great Earth.

Even so, Beggars, the Aristocratic listener,
succeeding in view,
is a person who has overcome,
has thoroughly burnt off,
thoroughly given up
that which is the greater du-k-kha,
of small measure is that which remains,
not even a hundredth part does it come to,
not a thousandth part,
not a hundred-thousandth part,
does it come to;
that former pile of du-k-kha of his
which has been thoroughly burnt off,
thoroughly given up,
is of small measure
compared to being here seven more times tops
Such a great attainment is it beggars,
this all-conquering Dhamma,
such a great attainment is it,
this gaining the eye of Dhamma.