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. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Once upon a time, mendicants, this Mount Vepulla was known as Pācīnavaṁsa. Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘pācīnavaṁso’tveva samaññā udapādi. And at that time people were known as Tivaras. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘tivarā’tveva samaññā udapādi. The lifespan of the Tivaras was 40,000 years. Tivarānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ cattārīsa vassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. It took them four days to climb Mount Vepulla, and four days to descend. Tivarā, bhikkhave, manussā pācīnavaṁsaṁ pabbataṁ catūhena ārohanti, catūhena orohanti. At that time Kakusandha, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kakusandho bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Kakusandha had a fine pair of chief disciples named Vidhura and Sañjīva. Kakusandhassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa vidhurasañjīvaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. So impermanent are conditions, Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; so unstable are conditions, evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; so unreliable are conditions. evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Vaṅkaka. Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vaṅkako’tveva samaññā udapādi. And at that time people were known as Rohitassas. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘rohitassā’tveva samaññā udapādi. The lifespan of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years. Rohitassānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ tiṁsavassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. It took them three days to climb Mount Vepulla, and three days to descend. Rohitassā, bhikkhave, manussā vaṅkakaṁ pabbataṁ tīhena ārohanti, tīhena orohanti. At that time Koṇāgamana, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena koṇāgamano bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Koṇāgamana had a fine pair of chief disciples named Bhiyyosa and Uttara. Koṇāgamanassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhiyyosuttaraṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. So impermanent are conditions … Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe… alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Supassa. Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘supasso’tveva samaññā udapādi. And at that time people were known as Suppiyas. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘suppiyā’tveva samaññā udapādi. The lifespan of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years. Suppiyānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ vīsativassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. It took them two days to climb Mount Vepulla, and two days to descend. Suppiyā, bhikkhave, manussā supassaṁ pabbataṁ dvīhena ārohanti, dvīhena orohanti. At that time Kassapa, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Kassapa had a fine pair of chief disciples named Tissa and Bhāradvāja. Kassapassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa tissabhāradvājaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. So impermanent are conditions … Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe… alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

These days this Mount Vepulla is known as Vepulla. Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vepullo’tveva samaññā udapādi. And these people are known as Magadhans. Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imesaṁ manussānaṁ ‘māgadhakā’tveva samaññā udapādi. The lifespan of the Magadhans is short, brief, and fleeting. Māgadhakānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ appakaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ; A long life is a hundred years or a little more. yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo. It takes the Magadhans an hour to climb Mount Vepulla, and an hour to descend. Māgadhakā, bhikkhave, manussā vepullaṁ pabbataṁ muhuttena ārohanti muhuttena orohanti. And now I am the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha who has arisen in the world. Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno. I have a fine pair of chief disciples named Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Mayhaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sāriputtamoggallānaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. There will come a time when this mountain’s name will vanish, those people will die, and I will be fully extinguished. Bhavissati, bhikkhave, so samayo yā ayañcevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antaradhāyissati, ime ca manussā kālaṁ karissanti, ahañca parinibbāyissāmi. So impermanent are conditions, Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; so unstable are conditions, evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; so unreliable are conditions. evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.” Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, 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:

“For the Tivaras it was Pācīnavaṁsa, “Pācīnavaṁso tivarānaṁ, for the Rohitassas, Vaṅkaka, rohitassāna vaṅkako; Supassa for the Suppiyas, Suppiyānaṁ supassoti, and Vepulla for the Magadhans. māgadhānañca vepullo.

Oh! Conditions are impermanent, Aniccā vata saṅkhārā, their nature is to rise and fall; uppādavayadhammino; having arisen, they cease; Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti, their settling is such bliss.” tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho”ti.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Duggataṁ sukhitañceva, tiṁsa mātāpitena ca; Bhātā bhaginī putto ca, dhītā vepullapabbataṁ.

The Linked Discourses on the unknown beginning are complete. Anamataggasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.