[15] "Bhikkhus, as far as there are beings — footless or two-footed or four-footed or many-footed, with form or formless, percipient or non-percipient or neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient — the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, is declared the foremost of them. Even so, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities (kusalā dhammā) there are, all of them are rooted in heedfulness (appamāda) and converge upon heedfulness, and heedfulness is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, bhikkhus, whatever footprints there are of creatures that walk upon the land, all of them are encompassed within the elephant's footprint, and the elephant's footprint is declared the foremost of them, that is, by reason of its great size; even so, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there are, all of them are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness, and heedfulness is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, bhikkhus, whatever rafters there are of a peaked house, all of them go to the peak, slope to the peak, and converge upon the peak, and the peak¹ is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there are, all of them are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness, and heedfulness is declared the foremost among them.
"Just as, bhikkhus, of whatever fragrances of roots there are, kāḷānusārī is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, of whatever fragrances of heartwood there are, red sandalwood is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, of whatever fragrances of flowers there are, jasmine (vassika) is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, whatever petty kings there are, all of them proceed as vassals of the wheel-turning monarch (cakkavatti), and the wheel-turning monarch is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, whatever radiance there is of the stars, all of it is not worth a sixteenth part of the radiance of the moon, and the radiance of the moon is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free of clouds, the sun, ascending the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness in space, shines and blazes and radiates; even so, bhikkhus … Just as, bhikkhus, whatever great rivers there are — that is, the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, and the Mahī — all of them go to the ocean, slant toward the ocean, slope toward the ocean, and incline toward the ocean, and the great ocean is declared the foremost of them; even so, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome qualities there are, all of them are rooted in heedfulness and converge upon heedfulness, and heedfulness is declared the foremost among them."
¹ [Footnote in Siam Raṭṭha edition: the Myanmar (M.) reading is "kūṭo".]
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.