“Mendicants, suppose the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean. “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti, pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti, kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti, mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti, kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti, mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti; In the same way, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and the ethics loved by the noble ones. evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa yo ca buddhe aveccappasādo, yo ca dhamme aveccappasādo, yo ca saṅghe aveccappasādo, yāni ca ariyakantāni sīlāni—These things flow onwards; and, after crossing to the far shore, they lead to the ending of defilements.” ime dhammā sandamānā pāraṁ gantvā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.