SN2-V2-Ch4-Samyutta15

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=Samyutta Nikaya:II.Nidanavagga (Book of Causation)=

124. Grass and Wood (Tinakattha sans. Truna-kashtha)
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Lord (Buddha) was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. There the Lord (Buddha) addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus!"

"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Lord (Buddha) said this;

"Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. 254 A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Suppose, bhikkhus, a man would cut up whatever grass, sticks, branches, and foliage there are in this Jambudipa and collect them together into a single heap. Having done so, he would put them down, saying [for each one]: This is my mother, this my mother's mother.' The sequence of that man's mothers and grandmothers would not come to an end, yet the grass, wood, branches, and foliage in this Jambudipa would be used up and exhausted. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. For such a long time, bhikkhus, you have experienced suffering, anguish, and disaster, and swelled the cemetery. It is enough to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

125. The Earth (Pathavi sans. Prithvi)
At Savatthi.

[Buddha:] "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Suppose, bhikkhus, a man would reduce this great earth to balls of clay the size of jujube kernels and put them down, saying [for each one]: This is my father, this my father's father.' The sequence of that man's fathers and grandfathers would not come to an end, yet this great earth would be used up and exhausted. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. For such a long time, bhikkhus, you have experienced suffering, anguish, and disaster, and swelled the cemetery. It is enough to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

126. Tears (Assu sans. Ashru)
At Savatthi.

[Buddha:] "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the stream of tears that you have shed as you roamed and wandered on through this long course, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable — this or the water in the four great oceans?" 255

"As we understand the Dhamma taught by the Lord (Buddha), venerable sir, the stream of tears that we have shed as we roamed and wandered through this long course, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans."

"Good, good, bhikkhus! It is good that you understand the Dhamma taught by me in such a way. The stream of tears that you have shed as you roamed and wandered through this long course, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans. For a long time, bhikkhus, you have experienced the death of a mother; as you have experienced this, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable, the stream of tears that you have shed is more than the water in the four great oceans.

"For a long time, bhikkhus, you have experienced the death of a father ... the death of a brother ... the death of a sister ... the death of a son . . . the death of a daughter . . . the loss of relatives . . . the loss of wealth . . . loss through illness; as you have experienced this, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable, the stream of tears that you have shed is more than the water in the four great oceans. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

127. Mother's Milk (Khira sans Kshira)
At Savatthi.

[Buddha:] "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the mother's milk that you have drunk as you roamed and wandered on through this long course — this or the water in the four great oceans?"

"As we understand the Dhamma taught by the Lord (Buddha), venerable sir, the mother's milk that we have drunk as we roamed and wandered on through this long course — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans."

"Good, good, bhikkhus! It is good that you understand the Dhamma taught by me in such a way. The mother's milk that you have drunk as you roamed and wandered through this long course — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

128. The Mountain (Pabbata sans. Parvat)
At Savatthi. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Lord (Buddha), paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, how long is an aeon?" 256

"An aeon is long, bhikkhu. It is not easy to count it and say it is so many years, or so many hundreds of years, or so many thousands of years, or so many hundreds of thousands of years."

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

"It is possible, bhikkhu," the Lord (Buddha) said. "Suppose, bhikkhu, there was a great stone mountain a yojana long, a yojana wide, and a yojana high, without holes or crevices, one solid mass of rock. At the end of every hundred years a man would stroke it once with a piece of Kasian cloth. 257 That great stone mountain might by this effort be worn away and eliminated but the aeon would still not have come to an end. So long is an aeon, bhikkhu. And of aeons of such length, we have wandered through so many aeons, so many hundreds of aeons, so many thousands of aeons, so many hundreds of thousands of aeons. For what reason? Because, bhikkhu, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

129. The Mustard Seed (Sasapa)
At Savatthi. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Lord (Buddha), paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, how long is an aeon?"

"An aeon is long, bhikkhu. It is not easy to count it and say it is so many years, or so many hundreds of years, or so many thousands of years, or so many hundreds of thousands of years."

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

"It is possible, bhikkhu," the Lord (Buddha) said. "Suppose, bhikkhu, there was a city with iron walls a yojana long, a yojana wide, and a yojana high, filled with mustard seeds as dense as a topknot. At the end of every hundred years a man would remove one mustard seed from there. The great heap of mustard seeds might by this effort be depleted and eliminated but the aeon would still not have come to an end. So long is an aeon, bhikkhu. And of aeons of such length, we have wandered through so many aeons, so many hundreds of aeons, so many thousands of aeons, so many hundreds of thousands of aeons. For what reason? Because, bhikkhu, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

130. Disciples (Savaka sans. Shravak)
At Savatthi. [183] Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Lord (Buddha), 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."

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

"It is possible, bhikkhus," the Lord (Buddha) 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. 258 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 samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

131. The River Ganga
On one occasion the Lord (Buddha) was dwelling at Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Then a certain brahmin approached the Lord (Buddha) and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him: "Master Gotama, how many aeons have elapsed and gone by?"

"Brahmin, 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."

"But is it possible to give a simile. Master Gotama?"

"It is possible, brahmin," the Lord (Buddha) said. "Suppose, brahmin, the grains of sand between the point where the river Ganga originates and the point where it enters the great ocean: it is not easy to count these and say there are so many grains of sand, or so many hundreds of grains, or so many thousands of grains, or so many hundreds of thousands of grains. Brahmin, the aeons that have elapsed and gone by are even more numerous than that. 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, brahmin, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

When this was said, that brahmin said to the Lord (Buddha):

"Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama!... From today let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life."

132. The Stick (Danda)
At Savatthi.

[Buddha:] "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Just as a stick thrown up into the air falls now on its bottom, now on its side, and now on its top, so too as beings roam and wander on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, now they go from this world to the other world, now they come from the other world to this world. 259 For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. .(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

133. Person (Puggala)
On one occasion the Lord (Buddha) was dwelling at Rajagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. There the Lord (Buddha) addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus!" 260

"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Lord (Buddha) said this:

"Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. One person, roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, would leave behind a stack of bones, a heap of bones, a pile of bones as large as this Mount Vepulla, if there were someone to collect them and what is collected would not perish. 261 For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning.... It is enough to be liberated from them."

This is what the Lord (Buddha) said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

"The heap of bones one person leaves behind; With the passing of a single aeon

Would form a heap as high as a mountain; So said the Great Sage.

This is declared to be as massive; As the tall Vepulla Mountain

Standing north of Vulture Peak; In the Magadhan mountain range.

"But when one sees with correct wisdom; The truths of the noble ones

Suffering and its origin; The overcoming of suffering.

And the Noble Eightfold Path;That leads to suffering's appeasement

Then that person, having wandered on; For seven more times at most;

Makes an end to suffering ;By destroying all the fetters."

134. Unfortunate (Duggata sans. Durgati)
On one occasion, while dwelling at Savatthi, the Lord (Buddha) said this: "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Whenever you see anyone in misfortune, in misery, you can conclude: 'We too have experienced the same thing in this long course.' For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

135. Happy (Sukhita sans. Sukhi)
At Savatthi.

[Buddha:] "Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning.... Whenever you see anyone happy and fortunate, you can conclude: 'We too have experienced the same thing in this long course.' For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning.... It is enough to be liberated from them."

136. Thirty Bhikkhus (Timsamatta)
At Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove. Then thirty bhikkhus from Pava approached the Lord (Buddha) — all forest dwellers, almsfood eaters, rag-robe wearers, triple-robe users, yet all were still with fetters. 262 Having approached, they paid homage to the Lord (Buddha) and sat down to one side. Then it occurred to the Lord (Buddha):

"These thirty bhikkhus from Pava are all forest dwellers, almsfood eaters, rag-robe wearers, triple-robe users, yet all are still with fetters. Let me teach them the Dhamma in such a way that while they are sitting in these very seats their minds will be liberated from the taints by nonclinging."

Then the Lord (Buddha) addressed those bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus!"

"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Lord (Buddha) said this:

"Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. What do you think, bhikkhus, which is more: the stream of blood that you have shed when you were beheaded as you roamed and wandered on through this long course — this or the water in the four great oceans?"

"As we understand the Dhamma taught by the Lord (Buddha), venerable sir, the stream of blood that we have shed when our heads were cut off as we roamed and wandered on through this long course — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans."

"Good, good, bhikkhus! It is good that you understand the Dhamma taught by me in such a way. The stream of blood that you have shed as you roamed and wandered on through this long course — this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans. For a long time, bhikkhus, you have been cows, and when as cows you were beheaded, the stream of blood that you shed is greater than the waters in the four great oceans. For a long time you have been buffalo, sheep, goats, deer, chickens, and pigs.... For a long time you have been arrested as burglars, highwaymen, and adulterers, and when you were beheaded, the stream of blood that you shed is greater than the water in the four great oceans. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning..(as in 124).. It is enough to be liberated from them."

This is what the Lord (Buddha) said. Elated, those bhikkhus delighted in the Lord (Buddha)'s statement. And while this exposition was being spoken, the minds of the thirty bhikkhus from Pava were liberated from the taints by nonclinging.

137-142.Mother,Father,Brother,Sister,Son,Daughter(Matu,Pitu,Bhatu,Bhagini,Putta,Dhitu)
I heard thus. At one time the Lord(Buddha) was living in the monastery donated by Anathapindika in Jeta's grove in Savatthi.

From there the Lord(Buddha) addressed the monks:

"Monks, without an end is the samsara(train of rebirth), a beginning cannot be pointed out of beings enveloped in ignorance and bound by craving, running from one rebirth to another.

"Monks, you cannot find a being who was previously not your mother...your father ... your brother ... your sister ... your son ... your daughter in the past, in this long train of rebirths.

"What is the reason? Monks, without an end is the train of rebirths, a discoverable beginning cannot be pointed out. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. For such a long time, bhikkhus, you have experienced suffering, anguish, and disaster, and swelled the cemetery.

It is enough to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

143. Mount Vepulla (Vepullapabbata sans. Vepulla-parvat)
On one occasion the Lord (Buddha) was dwelling at Rajagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. There the Lord (Buddha) addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus!"

"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Lord (Buddha) said this:

"Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. In the past, bhikkhus, this Mount Vepulla was called Pacinavamsa, and at that time these people were called Tivaras. The life span of the Tivaras was 40,000 years. 263 They could climb Mount Pacinavamsa in four days and descend in four days. At that time the Lord (Buddha) Kakusandha, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, had arisen in the world. His two chief disciples were named Vidhura and Sanjiva, an excellent pair. See, bhikkhus! That name for this mountain has disappeared, those people have died, and that Lord (Previous Buddha) has attained final Nibbana. So impermanent are formations, bhikkhus, so unstable, so unreliable. It is enough, bhikkhus, to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them.

"[At another time] in the past, bhikkhus, this Mount Vepulla was called Vankaka, and at that time these people were called Rohitassas. The life span of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years. 264 They could climb Mount Vankaka in three days and descend in three days. At that time the Lord (Buddha) Konagamana, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, had arisen in the world. His two chief disciples were named Bhiyyosa and Uttara, an excellent pair. See, bhikkhus! That name for this mountain has disappeared, those people have died, and that Lord (Buddha) has attained final Nibbana. So impermanent are formations..(as above).. It is enough to be liberated from them.

"[At still another time] in the past, bhikkhus, this Mount Vepulla was called Supassa, and at that time these people were called Suppiyas. The life span of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years. They could climb Mount Supassa in two days and descend in two days. At that time the Lord (Buddha) Kassapa, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, had arisen in the world. His two chief disciples were named Tissa and Bharadvaja, an excellent pair. See, bhikkhus! That name for this mountain has disappeared, those people have died, and that Lord (Buddha) has attained final Nibbana. So impermanent are formations..(as above).. It is enough to be liberated from them.

"At present, bhikkhus, this Mount Vepulla is called Vepulla, and at present these people are called Magadhans. The life span of the Magadhans is short, limited, fleeting; one who lives long lives a hundred years or a little more. The Magadhans climb Mount Vepulla in an hour and descend in an hour. At present I have arisen in the world, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One.

My two chief disciples are named Sariputta and Moggallana, an excellent pair. There will come a time, bhikkhus, when the name for this mountain will have disappeared, when these people will have died, and I will have attained final Nibbana. So impermanent are formations, bhikkhus, so unstable, so unreliable. It is enough, bhikkhus, to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

This is what the Lord (Buddha) said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

"This was called Pacinavamsa by the Tivaras; And Vankaka by the Rohitassas,

Supassa by the Suppiya people, Vepulla by the Magadhan folk.

"Impermanent, alas, are formations; Subject to arising and vanishing.

Having arisen, they cease; Their removal is blissful." 265