user157: There is a story in the Pali Canon where the Buddha compares the Dharma to leaves on a tree. If I can give a very approximate quote to what I remember

The dharma that I have taught is just a handful of leaves. The Dharma
  is actually all the leaves in all the trees

So the point been that there is a lot more to the Dharma then what the Buddha is teaching at that point. Can anyone give the exact reference for that story - I'm fairly certain it is from the Pali Canon.

user254: From the Pali canon perhaps it's the Simsapa Sutta (see here and here).
The main message I get from that story is a bit the opposite of what you suggested: i.e. not that "The Dharma is actually all the leaves in all the trees", rather that the central doctrine is only the four noble truths (stress; origin of stress; cessation of stress; path of practice leading to the cessation of stress).
I think there are other suttas in which he said, "I have taught one thing and one thing only, i.e. dukkha and the cessation of dukkha.

157: <p>There is a story in the Pali Canon where the Buddha compares the Dharma to leaves on a tree. If I can give a very approximate quote to what I remember</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The dharma that I have taught is just a handful of leaves. The Dharma
  is actually all the leaves in all the trees</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So the point been that there is a lot more to the Dharma then what the Buddha is teaching at that point. Can anyone give the exact reference for that story - I'm fairly certain it is from the Pali Canon.</p>
 254: <p>From the Pali canon perhaps it's the Simsapa Sutta (see <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.031.wlsh.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.031.than.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>).</p>

<p>The main message I get from that story is a bit the opposite of what you suggested: i.e. not that "The Dharma is actually all the leaves in all the trees", rather that the central doctrine is only the four noble truths (stress; origin of stress; cessation of stress; path of practice leading to the cessation of stress).</p>

<p>I think there are other suttas in which he said, "I have taught one thing and one thing only, i.e. dukkha and the cessation of dukkha.</p>
