Abundant merit brings steadiness and solidity; meager merit brings frivolity and flightiness.

Before planting, seeds must first be soaked in water for a period of time before being sown into the soil. When seeds are pre-soaked with water, they sprout quickly once buried in the earth.

During the soaking, a layer of seeds will float on the surface of the water. These are the immature, unsaturated seeds—shriveled grains that cannot sprout and grow into crops and are unfit for use as seeds. Therefore, the seeds floating on the surface must be picked out and filtered away; only the solid, sinking ones that remain are sown into the soil. What does this metaphor illustrate?

A living person who jumps into the sea may be drowned by it, whereas a dead body in the sea will be buoyed up by the water and float on the surface. What does this metaphor illustrate?

In autumn, in the sorghum fields, the ripe sorghum has full, plump grains, so heavy that the sorghum bows its head, even bending the stalks; the unripe sorghum, however, stands tall and erect, swaying and fluttering in the wind, showing off ostentatiously. What does this metaphor illustrate?

Those with meager merit (alpa-puṇya) cannot suppress the habit of impulsive urges; with meager merit, nothing can be held down—all afflictions and habitual tendencies will float to the surface. Why do people pretend to understand when they do not, and insist on pointing fingers and lecturing others? Why is there so much restless, frivolous talk every day? Those of substance and depth never speak excessively.