“Subhuti! Lets suppose, that for every particle of muck in the Ganges Riverbed there was another Ganges River. Now imagine the number of particles of sand in all those new riverbeds. Would that amount to a great number of sand particles?”
Subhuti answered, “Yes, World-Honored One. The number of the rivers would be impossible to conceive, not to mention the number of sand particles in them!”
“Subhuti! I’m going to lay it out for you. Imagine a man or woman of integrity giving valuable charitable offerings in an amount that would fill vast trillions of universes, the number of which would be like the number of particles in all of those rivers! Wouldn’t this fine act result in an outrageously great production of goodness?”
Subhuti replied, “Yes, World Honored One, the goodness produced by the actions of such a man or a woman would be humongous, truly impossible to conceive.”
The Buddha said, “Subhuti! Let’s say that instead, this man or this woman was to take a few lines from what I’m saying here, went and considered it and tried to discuss it with others. The consequences of doing that would be unequivocally, inconceivably greater than those resulting from the charitable offerings.”
The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
The Lotus Version by permission
Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
Recorded by the disciple Ananda