Vepullapabbatasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.20

Linked Discourses 15.20

2. Dutiyavagga

2. Chapter Two

Vepullapabbatasutta

Mount Vepulla

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning.

Pubbā 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.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘pācīnavaṁso’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time, mendicants, this Mount Vepulla was known as Pācīnavaṁsa.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘tivarā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Tivaras.

Tivarānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ cattārīsa vassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Tivaras was 40,000 years.

Tivarā, bhikkhave, manussā pācīnavaṁsaṁ pabbataṁ catūhena ārohanti, catūhena orohanti.

It took them four days to climb Mount Vepulla, and four days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kakusandho bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Kakusandha, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Kakusandhassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa vidhurasañjīvaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Kakusandha had a fine pair of chief disciples named Vidhura and Sañjīva.

Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions,

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

so unstable are conditions,

evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

so unreliable are conditions.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vaṅkako’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Vaṅkaka.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘rohitassā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Rohitassas.

Rohitassānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ tiṁsavassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years.

Rohitassā, bhikkhave, manussā vaṅkakaṁ pabbataṁ tīhena ārohanti, tīhena orohanti.

It took them three days to climb Mount Vepulla, and three days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena koṇāgamano bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Koṇāgamana, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Koṇāgamanassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhiyyosuttaraṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Koṇāgamana had a fine pair of chief disciples named Bhiyyosa and Uttara.

Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…

So impermanent are conditions …

alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘supasso’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Supassa.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘suppiyā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Suppiyas.

Suppiyānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ vīsativassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years.

Suppiyā, bhikkhave, manussā supassaṁ pabbataṁ dvīhena ārohanti, dvīhena orohanti.

It took them two days to climb Mount Vepulla, and two days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Kassapa, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Kassapassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa tissabhāradvājaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Kassapa had a fine pair of chief disciples named Tissa and Bhāradvāja.

Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions …

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…

alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vepullo’tveva samaññā udapādi.

These days this Mount Vepulla is known as Vepulla.

Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imesaṁ manussānaṁ ‘māgadhakā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And these people are known as Magadhans.

Māgadhakānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ appakaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ;

The lifespan of the Magadhans is short, brief, and fleeting.

yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo.

A long life is a hundred years or a little more.

Māgadhakā, bhikkhave, manussā vepullaṁ pabbataṁ muhuttena ārohanti muhuttena orohanti.

It takes the Magadhans an hour to climb Mount Vepulla, and an hour to descend.

Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno.

And now I am the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha who has arisen in the world.

Mayhaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sāriputtamoggallānaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

I have a fine pair of chief disciples named Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

Bhavissati, bhikkhave, so samayo yā ayañcevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antaradhāyissati, ime ca manussā kālaṁ karissanti, ahañca parinibbāyissāmi.

There will come a time when this mountain’s name will vanish, those people will die, and I will be fully extinguished.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions,

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

so unstable are conditions,

evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

so unreliable are conditions.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Pācīnavaṁso tivarānaṁ,

“For the Tivaras it was Pācīnavaṁsa,

rohitassāna vaṅkako;

for the Rohitassas, Vaṅkaka,

Suppiyānaṁ supassoti,

Supassa for the Suppiyas,

māgadhānañca vepullo.

and Vepulla for the Magadhans.

Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,

Oh! Conditions are impermanent,

uppādavayadhammino;

their nature is to rise and fall;

Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,

having arisen, they cease;

tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho”ti.

their settling is such bliss.”

Dasamaṁ.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Duggataṁ sukhitañceva,

tiṁsa mātāpitena ca;

Bhātā bhaginī putto ca,

dhītā vepullapabbataṁ.

Anamataggasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

The Linked Discourses on the unknown beginning are complete.