At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants!” “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this: Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning. … “Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe… One individual roaming and transmigrating for an eon would amass a heap of bones the size of this Mount Vepulla, if they were gathered together and not lost. ekapuggalassa, bhikkhave, kappaṁ sandhāvato saṁsarato siyā evaṁ mahā aṭṭhikaṅkalo aṭṭhipuñjo aṭṭhirāsi yathāyaṁ vepullo pabbato, sace saṁhārako assa, sambhatañca na vinasseyya.

Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? This transmigration has no known beginning. … Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe… This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.” alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Idamavoca bhagavā. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“If the bones of a single individual “Ekassekena kappena, for a single eon were gathered up, puggalassaṭṭhisañcayo; they’d make a pile the size of a mountain: Siyā pabbatasamo rāsi, so said the great seer. iti vuttaṁ mahesinā.

And this is declared to be So kho panāyaṁ akkhāto, as huge as Mount Vepulla, vepullo pabbato mahā; higher than the Vulture’s Peak Uttaro gijjhakūṭassa, in the Magadhan mountain range. magadhānaṁ giribbaje.

But then, with right understanding, Yato ca ariyasaccāni, one sees the noble truths—sammappaññāya passati; suffering, suffering’s origin, Dukkhaṁ dukkhasamuppādaṁ, suffering’s transcendence, dukkhassa ca atikkamaṁ; and the noble eightfold path Ariyaṁ caṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ, that leads to the stilling of suffering. dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.

After roaming on seven times at most, Sa sattakkhattuṁparamaṁ, that individual sandhāvitvāna puggalo; makes an end of suffering, Dukkhassantakaro hoti, with the ending of all fetters.” sabbasaṁyojanakkhayā”ti.

Paṭhamo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Tiṇakaṭṭhañca pathavī, assu khīrañca pabbataṁ; Sāsapā sāvakā gaṅgā, daṇḍo ca puggalena cāti.