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SN 15.3PTS SN 2.1791 min read

Tears

Assusutta

The tears you have shed in transmigration are greater than the waters in the oceans.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.3Linked Discourses 15.3
  • 0.21. PaṭhamavaggaChapter One

0.3AssusuttaTears

1.1PTS 2.180Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning.1.3Pubbā 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.1.4Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ, yaṁ vā vo iminā dīghena addhunā sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, yaṁ vā catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakan”ti?What do you think? Which is more: the flow of tears you’ve shed while roaming and transmigrating for such a very long time—weeping and wailing from being coupled with the unloved and separated from the loved—or the water in the four oceans?”1

1.5“Yathā kho mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāma, etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ yaṁ no iminā dīghena addhunā sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakan”ti.“As we understand the Buddha’s teaching, the flow of tears we’ve shed while roaming and transmigrating is more than the water in the four oceans.”

2.1“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave, sādhu kho me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha.“Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you understand my teaching like this.2.2Etadeva, bhikkhave, bahutaraṁ yaṁ vo iminā dīghena addhunā sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ.The flow of tears you’ve shed while roaming and transmigrating is indeed more than the water in the four oceans.2.3Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, mātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ;For a long time you’ve undergone the death of a mother …2.4tesaṁ vo mātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ.2.5Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, pitumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …pe…father …2.6bhātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …brother …2.7bhaginimaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …sister …2.8puttamaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …son …2.9dhītumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …daughter …2.10ñātibyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ …loss of relatives …2.11bhogabyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ.loss of wealth …2.12Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, rogabyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, tesaṁ vo rogabyasanaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ.or loss through illness. From being coupled with the unloved and separated from the loved, the flow of tears you’ve shed while roaming and transmigrating is indeed more than the water in the four oceans.

2.13Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?2.14Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe…This transmigration has no known beginning. …2.15yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

2.16Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Each world system—or as we would say, solar system—has four oceans (AN 3.80:4.2). These were proverbial for an abundance of wealth (Rig Veda 9.33.6, 10.47.2; Atharva Veda 19.27.3). There are eastern and western oceans (RV 10.136.5, Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 1.6.3.11; eastern sea at ŚB 10.6.4.1, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.1.2), and upper and lower (RV 7.6.7, 10.98.5). We can identify the eastern and western oceans as the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, while the lower is the Indian Ocean, into which water flows from the upper heavenly ocean in the Himalayas.

    ↩ sn15.3:1.4