Disciples Sāvakasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha … and asked him, Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Sir, how many eons have passed?” “kīvabahukā nu kho, bhante, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti?

“Mendicants, many eons have passed. “Bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. It’s not easy to calculate Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.” ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’”ti.

“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti?

“It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Sakkā, bhikkhave”ti bhagavā avoca.

“Suppose there were four disciples with a lifespan of a hundred years. “Idhassu, bhikkhave, cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino. And each day they would each recollect a hundred thousand eons. Te divase divase kappasatasahassaṁ kappasatasahassaṁ anussareyyuṁ. Those four disciples would pass away after a hundred years and there would still be eons that they haven’t recollected. Ananussaritāva, bhikkhave, tehi kappā assu, atha kho te cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino vassasatassa accayena kālaṁ kareyyuṁ. That’s how many eons have passed. Evaṁ bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. It’s not easy to calculate Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons. ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’ti.

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.