The Achievement of Other Communities Cannot Compare with the Achievement of a Noble Disciple

Monks, suppose that a man would place on Sineru, the king of mountains, seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans. What do you think, Monks, which is more: the seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans that have been placed there or Sineru, the king of mountains?

‘Venerable Sir, Sineru, the king of mountains, is more. The seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans are insignificant. They do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of Sineru, the king of mountains.’

So too, Monks, the achievements of Ascetics, Brāhmins, and wanderers of other communities do not amount to a hundredth part, or a thousandth part, or a hundred thousandth part of the achievement of a Noble Disciple, a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough.

So great in achievement, Monks, is a person accomplished in view, so great in direct knowledge (experience). 

(Reference: SN 13.11)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a Teaching that compares a Noble Disciple to Ascetics, Brāhmins, and wanderers of other communities.

Keep in mind that during the lifetime of The Buddha, there were many different groups claiming they had The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment when in reality it was The Buddha’s Teachings that lead to Enlightenment and he knew that, but not everyone else did. So there were still people who continued to learn and practice the teachings of other communities.

In this Teaching, The Buddha is contrasting the progress on The Path to Enlightenment for a Noble Disciple who is “accomplished in view” with “Ascetics, Brāhmins, and wanderers of other communities”. He explains that through an analogy described as “seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans” compared to the size of an entire mountain named “Sineru”.

The “seven grains of gravel the size of mung beans” represent the wisdom and progress of “Ascetics, Brāhmins, and wanderers of other communities” while the size of the entire mountain named “Sineru” represents a “Noble Disciple accomplished in view”.

The Buddha praises those who are accomplished in view referring to them as “Noble Disciples” or we might think of them as “close Students who have studied well and made significant progress on The Path to Enlightenment”.

A Noble Disciple is “a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough” to The Four Noble Truths. Once a Practitioner deeply learns, reflects, and practices The Four Noble Truths, they are well on their way to being “accomplished in view” and experiencing “the breakthrough” to understand discontentedness, the cause of discontentedness, the elimination of discontentedness, and the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.

For a Practitioner who has made this breakthrough to establish Right View based on The Four Noble Truths, they will then be able to continue to learn and practice to progress towards the attainment of Enlightenment.

“So great in achievement, Monks, is a person accomplished in view, so great in direct knowledge (experience)” that they will be well ahead of other “Ascetics, Brāhmins, and wanderers of other communities”.

It is The Buddha’s Teachings that have stood the test of time and remain capable of guiding all beings to Enlightenment. A Buddha has already done the hard work of figuring out how to attain Enlightenment. You just need to learn and practice his Teachings to improve the condition of the mind and your life on The Path to Enlightenment.