Pathavīsutta
The Earth
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.
“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning.
Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.
No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso imaṁ mahāpathaviṁ kolaṭṭhimattaṁ kolaṭṭhimattaṁ mattikāguḷikaṁ karitvā nikkhipeyya:
Suppose a person was to make the whole earth into clay balls the size of jujube seeds. They’d lay them down, saying:
‘ayaṁ me pitā, tassa me pitu ayaṁ pitā’ti, apariyādinnāva bhikkhave, tassa purisassa pitupitaro assu, athāyaṁ mahāpathavī parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.
‘This is my father, this is my grandfather.’ The whole earth would run out before that person’s fathers and grandfathers.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.
Transmigration has no known beginning.
Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.
No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.
Evaṁ dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ tibbaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ byasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, kaṭasī vaḍḍhitā.
For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries.
Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.
This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
