Chapter One

Grass and Sticks

sn15.1:1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: ‘This is my mother, this is my grandmother.’ The grass, sticks, branches, and leaves of the Black Plum Tree Land would run out before that person’s mothers and grandmothers. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Chapter One

The Earth

sn15.2:1 At Sāvatthī. ‘This is my father, this is my grandfather.’ The whole earth would run out before that person’s fathers and grandfathers. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Chapter One

Tears

sn15.3:1 At Sāvatthī.

sn15.3:2 father … brother … sister … son … daughter … loss of relatives …

Chapter One

Mother’s Milk

sn15.4:1 At Sāvatthī.

Chapter One

A Mountain

sn15.5:1 At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and asked him, “Sir, how long is an eon?” “Mendicant, an eon is long. It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”

sn15.5:2 “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Suppose there was a big rocky mountain, a league long, a league wide, and a league high, with no cracks or holes, one solid mass. And as each century passed someone would stroke it once with a fine cloth from Kāsi. By this means the big rocky mountain would be worn away before the eon comes to an end. That’s how long an eon is.

Chapter One

A Mustard Seed

sn15.6:1 At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, how long is an eon?” “Mendicant, an eon is long. It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”

sn15.6:2 “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Suppose there was an iron citadel, a league long, a league wide, and a league high, full of mustard seeds pressed into balls. And as each century passed someone would remove a single mustard seed. By this means the big heap of mustard seeds would be used up before the eon comes to an end. That’s how long an eon is.

Chapter One

Disciples

sn15.7:1 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.”

sn15.7:2 “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.

Chapter One

The Ganges

sn15.8:1 Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and asked the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, how many eons have passed?” “Brahmin, 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.”

sn15.8:2 “But worthy Gotama, can you give a simile?” “I can,” said the Buddha. “Consider the Ganges River from where it originates to where it meets the ocean. Between these places it’s not easy to calculate how many grains of sand there are, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of grains of sand. The eons that have passed are more than this. It’s not easy to calculate how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.

sn15.8:3 When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Chapter One

A Stick

sn15.9:1 At Sāvatthī.

Chapter One

A Single Individual

sn15.10:1 At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

sn15.10:3 That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

sn15.10:4 so said the great seer.

sn15.10:5 And this is declared to be as big as Mount Vepulla, higher than the Vulture’s Peak in the Mountainfold of the Magadhans.

sn15.10:6 But then, with right understanding, one sees the noble truths— suffering, suffering’s origin, suffering’s transcendence, and the noble eightfold path that leads to the stilling of suffering.

sn15.10:7 After roaming on seven times at most, that individual makes an end of suffering, with the ending of all fetters.”

Chapter Two

In a Sorry State

sn15.11:1 At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī.

Chapter Two

In a Good Way

sn15.12:1 At Sāvatthī.

Chapter Two

Thirty Mendicants

sn15.13:1 Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then thirty mendicants from Pāvā went to the Buddha. All of them lived in the wilderness, ate only almsfood, wore rag robes, and owned just three robes; yet they all still had fetters. They bowed to the Buddha and sat down to one side. Then it occurred to the Buddha, “These thirty mendicants from Pāvā live in the wilderness, eat only almsfood, wear rag robes, and own just three robes; yet they all still have fetters. Why don’t I teach them the Dhamma in such a way that their minds are freed from defilements by not grasping while sitting in this very seat?” Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

sn15.13:3 For a long time you’ve been buffalo … sheep … goats … deer … chickens … pigs … For a long time you’ve been bandits, arrested for raiding villages, highway robbery, or adultery. And the flow of blood you’ve shed when your head was chopped off as a bandit is more than the water in the four oceans.

sn15.13:4 That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said. And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the thirty mendicants from Pāvā were freed from defilements by not grasping.

Chapter Two

Mother

sn15.14:1 At Sāvatthī.

Chapter Two

Father

sn15.15:1 At Sāvatthī. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Chapter Two

Brother

sn15.16:1 At Sāvatthī. “It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has not previously been your brother. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Chapter Two

Sister

sn15.17:1 At Sāvatthī. “It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has not previously been your sister. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Chapter Two

Son

sn15.18:1 At Sāvatthī. “It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has not previously been your son. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

2. Chapter Two

Daughter

sn15.19:1 At Sāvatthī. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

2. Chapter Two

Mount Vepulla

sn15.20:1 At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

sn15.20:2 Once upon a time, mendicants, this Mount Vepulla was known as Pācīnavaṁsa. And at that time people were known as Tivaras. The lifespan of the Tivaras was 40,000 years. It took them four days to climb Mount Vepulla, and four days to descend. At that time Kakusandha, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Kakusandha had a fine pair of chief disciples named Vidhura and Sañjīva. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. So impermanent are conditions, so unstable are conditions, so unreliable are conditions. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.

sn15.20:3 Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Vaṅkaka. And at that time people were known as Rohitassas. The lifespan of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years. It took them three days to climb Mount Vepulla, and three days to descend. At that time Koṇāgamana, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Koṇāgamana had a fine pair of chief disciples named Bhiyyosa and Uttara. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. So impermanent are conditions …

sn15.20:4 Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Supassa. And at that time people were known as Suppiyas. The lifespan of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years. It took them two days to climb Mount Vepulla, and two days to descend. At that time Kassapa, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world. Kassapa had a fine pair of chief disciples named Tissa and Bhāradvāja. See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched. So impermanent are conditions …

sn15.20:5 These days this Mount Vepulla is known as Vepulla. And these people are known as Magadhans. The lifespan of the Magadhans is short, brief, and fleeting. A long life is a hundred years or a little more. It takes the Magadhans an hour to climb Mount Vepulla, and an hour to descend. And now I am the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha who has arisen in the world. I have a fine pair of chief disciples named Sāriputta and Moggallāna. There will come a time when this mountain’s name will vanish, those people will die, and I will be fully extinguished. So impermanent are conditions, so unstable are conditions, so unreliable are conditions. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

sn15.20:6 That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

sn15.20:7 “For the Tivaras it was Pācīnavaṁsa, for the Rohitassas, Vaṅkaka, Supassa for the Suppiyas, and Vepulla for the Magadhans.

sn15.20:8 Oh! Conditions are impermanent, their nature is to rise and fall; having arisen, they cease; their settling is such bliss.”

sn15.20:9 The Linked Discourses on the unknown beginning are complete.