Sāvakasutta
Disciples
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha … and asked him,
“kīvabahukā nu kho, bhante, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti?
“Sir, how many eons have passed?”
“Bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā.
“Mendicants, many eons have passed.
Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ:
It’s not easy to calculate
‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’”ti.
how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.”
“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti?
“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”
“Sakkā, bhikkhave”ti bhagavā avoca.
“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.
“Idhassu, bhikkhave, cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino.
“Suppose there were four disciples with a lifespan of a hundred years.
Te divase divase kappasatasahassaṁ kappasatasahassaṁ anussareyyuṁ.
And each day they would each recollect a hundred thousand eons.
Ananussaritāva, bhikkhave, tehi kappā assu, atha kho te cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino vassasatassa accayena kālaṁ kareyyuṁ.
Those four disciples would pass away after a hundred years and there would still be eons that they haven’t recollected.
Evaṁ bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā.
That’s how many eons have passed.
Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ:
It’s not easy to calculate
‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’ti.
how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe…
Transmigration has no known beginning. …
alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.
This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
