so too, when anyone goes forth on this spiritual path proclaimed by the Buddha—whether an aristocrat, brahmin, merchant, or worker—they lose their former name and class and become known simply as a Sakyan monastic. Just as the ocean doesn’t decrease or fill up because of all the rivers in the world that flow into it or the rain that falls into it, so too, even if many monks are extinguished without remainder, there’s no decrease or filling up of the element of extinguishment. Just as the ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt, so too, this spiritual path has only one taste, the taste of freedom. Just as the ocean contains many precious things—pearls, gems, beryls, mother-of-pearls, quartz, corals, silver, gold, rubies, and cat’s eyes— so too, this spiritual path contains many precious things—the four applications of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four foundations for supernormal power, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the noble eightfold path. Just as there are great beings in the ocean—sea monsters, antigods, dragons, and fairies; creatures with bodies one thousand kilometers long, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, and five thousand kilometers long— so too, there are great beings on this spiritual path—stream-enterers, those practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry; once-returners, those practicing for the realization of the fruit of once-returning; non-returners, those practicing for the realization of the fruit of non-returning; perfected ones, and those practicing for the realization of the fruit of perfection.” Seeing the significance of this, on that occasion the Buddha uttered a heartfelt exclamation: