The king said: ‘Is the Buddha, Nāgasena, pre-eminent?’
‘Yes, he is incomparable.’
‘But how do you know of one you have never seen that he is pre-eminent.’
‘Now what do you think, O king? They who have never seen the ocean would they know concerning it: “Deep, unmeasurable, unfathomable is the mighty ocean. Into it do the five great rivers flow—the Ganges, the Jumna, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, and the Mahī—and yet is there in it no appearance of being more empty or more full!”?’
‘Yes, they would know that.’
‘Just so, great king, when I think of the mighty disciples who have passed away then do I know that the Buddha is incomparable.’
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’