At Sāvatthī. Then the Buddha, picking up a little bit of dirt on his fingernail, addressed the mendicants: “What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the little bit of dirt on my fingernail, or this great earth?” “Sir, the great earth is far more. The little bit of dirt on your fingernail is tiny. Compared to the great earth, it doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, it’s not worth a fraction.” “In the same way the sentient beings reborn as humans are few, while those not reborn as humans are many. So you should train like this: ‘We will stay diligent.’ That’s how you should train.”

Linked Discourses 20.3 1. Similes Families

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, those families with many women and few men are easy prey for bandits and grain-jar thieves. In the same way any mendicant who has not developed and cultivated the heart’s release by love is easy prey for non-humans. Those families with few women and many men are hard prey for bandits and grain-jar thieves. In the same way a mendicant who has developed and cultivated the heart’s release by love is hard prey for non-humans. So you should train like this: ‘We will develop the heart’s release by love. We’ll cultivate it, make it our vehicle and our basis, keep it up, consolidate it, and properly implement it.’ That’s how you should train.”

Linked Discourses 20.4 1. Similes Cauldrons