1At Sāvatthī. sn.ii.183 Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "Venerable sir, how many aeons have elapsed and gone by?"

"Bhikkhus, many aeons have elapsed and gone by. It is not easy to count them and say they are so many aeons, or so many hundreds of aeons, or so many thousands of aeons, or so many hundreds of thousands of aeons."

2"But is it possible to give a simile, venerable sir?"

"It is possible, bhikkhus," the Blessed One said. "Suppose, bhikkhus, there were four disciples here each with a life span of a hundred years, living a hundred years, and each day they were each to recollect a hundred thousand aeons. There would still be aeons not yet recollected by them when those four disciples each with a life span of a hundred years, living a hundred years, would pass away at the end of a hundred years. [n.258] Reading, with Be and Se, ananussaritā va. Ee anussaritā va should be amended. It is not easy to count them and say that they are so many aeons, or so many hundreds of aeons, or so many thousands of aeons, or so many hundreds of thousands of aeons. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this saṁsara is without discoverable beginning … . It is enough to be liberated from them."

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. 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.

2"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.

Sattamaṁ.