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Itivuttaka 24

Aṭṭhipuñjasutta

A Heap of Bones · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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this was said indeedVuttañhetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā said by the Perfected One, thusvuttamarahatāti by meme heardsutaṁ:

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

of one individual“Ekapuggalassa, mendicantsbhikkhave, for an eonkappaṁ roamingsandhāvato transmigratingsaṁsarato there would besiyā thusevaṁ greatmahā a heap of bonesaṭṭhikaṅkalo a pile of bonesaṭṭhipuñjo a mass of bonesaṭṭhirāsi as thisyathāyaṁ Vepullavepullo mountainpabbato, ifsace a gatherersaṁhārako there would beassa, and gathered togethersambhatañca notna would be lostvinasseyyā”ti.
this matterEtamatthaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā spokeavoca.
on thisTatthetaṁ thusiti it is saidvuccati:

“Mendicants, one individual roaming and transmigrating for an eon would amass a heap of bones the size of this Mount Vepulla, if they were gathered together and not lost.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

of a single“Ekassekena for an eonkappena,
a heap of bones of an individualpuggalassaṭṭhisañcayo;
there would beSiyā equal to a mountainpabbatasamo a pilerāsi,
thusiti saidvuttaṁ by the great seermahesinā.

“If the bones of a single individual for a single eon were gathered up, they’d make a pile the size of a mountain: so said the great seer.

thisSo indeedkho and thispanāyaṁ declaredakkhāto,
Vepullavepullo mountainpabbato bigmahā;
higherUttaro than the Vulture's Peakgijjhakūṭassa,
of the Magadhansmagadhānaṁ in the Mountainfoldgiribbaje.

And this is declared to be as big as Mount Vepulla, higher than the Vulture’s Peak in the Mountainfold of the Magadhans.

whenYato andca noble truthsariyasaccāni,
with right understandingsammappaññāya one seespassati;
sufferingDukkhaṁ suffering's origindukkhasamuppādaṁ,
of sufferingdukkhassa andca transcendenceatikkamaṁ;
noble eightfoldAriyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ pathmaggaṁ,
that leads to the stilling of sufferingdukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.

But then, with right understanding, one sees the noble truths— suffering, suffering’s origin, suffering’s transcendence, and the noble eightfold path that leads to the stilling of suffering.

thatSa seven timessattakkhattuṁ at most,paramaṁ,
having roamed onsandhāvitvāna an individual;puggalo;
the ender of sufferingDukkhassantakaro is,hoti,
with the ending of all fetters”sabbasaṁyojanakkhayā”ti.

After roaming on seven times at most, that individual makes an end of suffering, with the ending of all fetters.”

this tooAyampi matterattho spokenvutto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā, thusiti by meme heardsutanti.
fourthCatutthaṁ.

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

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