Heedfulness

(1) “Bhikkhus, to whatever extent there are beings, whether footless or with two feet, four feet, or many feet, whether having form or formless, whether percipient or non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One is declared foremost among them. So too, all wholesome qualities are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness and heedfulness is declared foremost among them.

(2) “Just as the footprints of all animals that roam on land fit into the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s footprint is declared foremost among them, that is, with respect to size, so too, all wholesome qualities are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness and heedfulness is declared foremost among them.

(3) “Just as all the rafters of a peaked house lean toward the roof peak, slope toward the roof peak, converge upon the roof peak, and the roof peak is declared foremost among them, so too, all wholesome qualities are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness and heedfulness is declared foremost among them.

(4) “Just as, of all fragrant roots, black orris is declared foremost among them, so too …

(5) “Just as, of all fragrant heartwoods, red sandalwood is declared foremost among them, so too …

(6) “Just as, of all fragrant flowers, jasmine is declared foremost among them, so too …

(7) “Just as all petty princes are the vassals of a wheel-turning monarch, and the wheel-turning monarch is declared foremost among them, so too …

(8) “Just as the radiance of all the stars does not amount to a sixteenth part of the radiance of the moon, and the radiance of the moon is declared foremost among them, so too …

(9) “Just as, in the autumn, when the sky is clear and cloudless, the sun, ascending in the sky, dispels all darkness from space as it shines and beams and radiates, so too …

(10) “Just as, whatever great rivers there are—that is, the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, and the Mahī—all head toward the ocean, slant, slope, and incline toward the ocean, and the ocean is declared foremost among them, so too, all wholesome qualities are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness and heedfulness is declared foremost among them.”