338
“Just as, mendicants, in India the delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds are few, while the hilly terrain, inaccessible riverlands, stumps and thorns, and rugged mountains are many; so too the sentient beings who get to see a Realized One are few, while those who don’t get to see a Realized One are many.
339
… so too the sentient beings who get to hear the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One are few, while those sentient beings who don’t get to hear the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One are many.
340
… so too the sentient beings who remember the teachings they hear are few, while those who don’t remember the teachings are many.
341
… so too the sentient beings who examine the meaning of the teachings they have memorized are few, while those who don’t examine the meaning of the teachings are many.
342
… so too the sentient beings who understand the meaning and the teaching and practice accordingly are few, while those who understand the meaning and the teaching but don’t practice accordingly are many.
343
… so too the sentient beings inspired by inspiring places are few, while those who are uninspired are many.
344
… so too the sentient beings who, being inspired, strive effectively are few, while those who, even though inspired, don’t strive effectively are many.
345
… so too the sentient beings who, relying on letting go, gain immersion, gain unification of mind are few, while those who don’t gain immersion, don’t gain unification of mind relying on letting go are many.
Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 1.333–377 Catutthavagga by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, or SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net.