A Fingernail

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?” ^[1]

“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.”