Tip of the Nail¹

Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthi at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Then the Exalted One, lifting up a little sand on the tip of his finger-nail, addressed the brethren:-

'As to this what think ye, brethren?

"Which is greater,
this little sand lifted on my finger-nail,
or this great earth?'

'This lord, is greater,
even this great earth.

A trifle is the little sand lifted by the Exalted One on to his finger-nail.

It cannot come into reckoning,
it cannot come into comparison,
it cannot form a fraction
when compared with the great earth —
this little sand lifted by the Exalted One on to his finger-nail.'

'Even so, brethren,
are the beings that are reborn among humans
few in number as against the greater number
that are reborn elsewhere
and not among humans.²

'Wherefore, brethren,
thus must ye train yourselves:

"We will live earnestly"
- even thus.'

¹ Cf. above p.95 [SN 2.13.1]

² Somewhat arbitrarily the commentarial tradition judges that the greater alternative includes only rebirth in the four woeful spheres: — purgatory, animals, asuras and petas, deva-rebirth being included under the former alternative.

Part II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga Containing Kindred sayings on Cause and Other Subjects

Chapter XX. The Kindred Sayings on Parables

Sutta 2

Nakhasikhaṁ Suttaṁ

Tip of the Nail1

Part II.
The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects

Chapter XX.
The Kindred Sayings on Parables

Tip of the Nail¹