1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, this saṁsara 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?" [n.255] Spk: The four great oceans delimited by the rays of Mount Sineru. For Sineru's eastern slope is made of silver, its southern slope of jewels, its western slope of crystal, and its northern slope of gold. From the eastern and southern slopes rays of silver and jewels come forth, merge, traverse the surface of the ocean, and reach right up to the mountains that encircle the world-sphere; and so too with the rays coming forth from the other slopes. The four great oceans are situated between those rays.

"As we understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, venerable sir, sn.ii.180 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."

2"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 saṁsara is without discoverable beginning … . It is enough to experience revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Taṁ 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?

"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.

2"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave, sādhu kho me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha. Etadeva, bhikkhave, bahutaraṁ yaṁ vo iminā dīghena addhunā sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ. Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, mātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ; tesaṁ vo mātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ.

Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, pitumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … pe … bhātumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … bhaginimaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … puttamaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … dhītumaraṇaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … ñātibyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ … bhogabyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ. Dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, rogabyasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, tesaṁ vo rogabyasanaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ amanāpasampayogā manāpavippayogā kandantānaṁ rodantānaṁ assu passannaṁ paggharitaṁ, na tveva catūsu mahāsamuddesu udakaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro … pe … yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.