SN 15.7

Sāvakasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “kīvabahukā nu kho, bhante, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti? “Bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’”ti.

Disciples

At Sāvatthī. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, how many eons have passed?” “Mendicants, many eons have passed. It’s not easy to calculate how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.”

“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti? “Sakkā, bhikkhave”ti bhagavā avoca. “Idhassu, bhikkhave, cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino. Te divase divase kappasatasahassaṁ kappasatasahassaṁ anussareyyuṁ. Ananussaritāva, bhikkhave, tehi kappā assu, atha kho te cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino vassasatassa accayena kālaṁ kareyyuṁ. Evaṁ bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe… alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Suppose there were four disciples with a lifespan of a hundred years. And each day they would each recollect a hundred thousand eons. Those four disciples would pass away after a hundred years and there would still be eons that they haven’t recollected. That’s how many eons have passed. It’s not easy to calculate how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons. Why is that? This transmigration has no known beginning. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”