1.1PTS 2.183Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha … and asked him,1.3“kīvabahukā nu kho, bhante, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti?“Sir, how many eons have passed?”

1.4“Bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā.“Mendicants, many eons have passed.1.5Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ:It’s not easy to calculate1.6‘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.”

2.1“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti?“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”

2.2“Sakkā, bhikkhave”ti bhagavā avoca.“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.

2.3“Idhassu, bhikkhave, cattāro sāvakā vassasatāyukā vassasatajīvino.“Suppose there were four disciples with a lifespan of a hundred years.2.4Te divase divase kappasatasahassaṁ kappasatasahassaṁ anussareyyuṁ.And each day they would each recollect a hundred thousand eons.¹2.5Ananussaritāva, 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.2.6Evaṁ bahukā kho, bhikkhave, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā.That’s how many eons have passed.2.7Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ:It’s not easy to calculate2.8‘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.

2.9Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?2.10Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe…This transmigration has no known beginning. …2.11alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

2.12Sattamaṁ.