At one time, the Buddha lived in the Garden of Solitude in the Gion Grove of the Acropolis. One day, the Buddha said to his monks, "Disciples, if there is a lotus pond 2,000 li long, 2,000 li wide and 2,000 li deep, and this lotus pond is filled with water, all the birds and beasts around can drink the water in the lotus pond. If a man puts a bunch of thatch into the water of the lotus pond and picks it up, disciples, think about it, the water attached to the thatch is more than the water in the lotus pond? ”

The monks replied: "Shizun, this is an obvious thing, it must be that there is more water in the lotus pond, and less water attached to the thatch, and the water on the thatch is really not comparable to one percent, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth of the water in the lotus pond, and the water on the thatch is negligible compared with the water in the lotus pond."

The Buddha said: "In the same way, disciples, with sufficient correct insight, who have realized the first fruits (the explanation of the first fruits, see chapter 70) and above, they have destroyed and eliminated a lot of troubles and pains, and they have eliminated as much as all the water in the lotus pond, and they have very little residual problems and sufferings, and their remaining troubles and sufferings are as little as the water attached to the thatch. The disciples, that is to say, the holy disciples who have attained the first fruits, their residual troubles and pains are not comparable to the one-hundredth, thousandths, and one-hundredths of their extinction of their worries and sufferings, and their residual troubles and pains are negligible compared to the troubles and pains they have destroyed. These holy disciples who have already achieved the first fruits of life, they can go back and forth between the world and the heavenly realm at most seven times, and they can be forever liberated from the cycle of life and death, that is to say, the holy disciples who have realized the first fruits, they can get rid of all troubles and pains at most seven more times in the cycle of life and death, they can be freed from this world forever, and they can be forever liberated from the cycle of life and death. Disciples, with correct insights, can obtain such great meritorious benefits by attaining the first fruits of enlightenment, and if they understand the Dhamma as mentioned here, they can obtain such great meritorious benefits. ”

After the Buddha's teachings, the monks who listened to the teachings all paid homage to the Buddha again, praising the immeasurable merits of the Buddha's teachings, and they all practiced according to the Buddha's teachings.

Pali original scripture

SN.13.2. Pokkharaṇīsuttaṃ

　　 75. Sāvatthiyaṃ viharati …pe… “seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī paññāsayojanāni āyāmena paññāsayojanāni vitthārena paññāsayojanāni ubbedhena, puṇṇā udakassa samatittikā kākapeyyā. Tato puriso kusaggena udakaṃ uddhareyya. Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave katamaṃ nu kho bahutaraṃ, yaṃ vā kusaggena udakaṃ ubbhataṃ yaṃ vā pokkharaṇiyā udakan”ti?

　　 “Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṃ, yadidaṃ pokkharaṇiyā udakaṃ. Appamattakaṃ kusaggena udakaṃ ubbhataṃ. Neva satimaṃ kalaṃ upeti na sahassimaṃ kalaṃ upeti na satasahassimaṃ kalaṃ upeti pokkharaṇiyā udakaṃ upanidhāya kusaggena udakaṃ ubbhatan”ti. “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa diṭṭhisampannassa puggalassa abhisametāvino etadeva bahutaraṃ dukkhaṃ yadidaṃ parikkhīṇaṃ pariyādiṇṇaṃ; appamattakaṃ avasiṭṭhaṃ. Neva satimaṃ kalaṃ upeti na sahassimaṃ kalaṃ upeti na satasahassimaṃ kalaṃ upeti purimaṃ dukkhakkhandhaṃ parikkhīṇaṃ pariyādiṇṇaṃ upanidhāya, yadidaṃ sattakkhattuṃparamatā. Evaṃ mahatthiyo kho, bhikkhave, dhammābhisamayo; evaṃ mahatthiyo dhammacakkhupaṭilābho”ti. Dutiyaṃ.