Aṭṭhipuñjasutta

Itivuttaka 24

So It Was Said 24

Ekakanipāta

The Book of the Ones

Tatiyavagga

Chapter Three

Aṭṭhipuñjasutta

A Heap of Bones

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

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

“Ekapuggalassa, bhikkhave, kappaṁ sandhāvato saṁsarato siyā evaṁ mahā aṭṭhikaṅkalo aṭṭhipuñjo aṭṭhirāsi yathāyaṁ vepullo pabbato, sace saṁhārako assa, sambhatañca na vinasseyyā”ti.

“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.”

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.

The Buddha spoke this matter.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

On this it is said:

“Ekassekena kappena,

“If the bones of a single individual

puggalassaṭṭhisañcayo;

for a single eon were gathered up,

Siyā pabbatasamo rāsi,

they’d make a pile the size of a mountain:

iti vuttaṁ mahesinā.

so said the great seer.

So kho panāyaṁ akkhāto,

And this is declared to be

vepullo pabbato mahā;

as big as Mount Vepulla,

Uttaro gijjhakūṭassa,

higher than the Vulture’s Peak

magadhānaṁ giribbaje.

in the Mountainfold of the Magadhans.

Yato ca ariyasaccāni,

But then, with right understanding,

sammappaññāya passati;

one sees the noble truths—

Dukkhaṁ dukkhasamuppādaṁ,

suffering, suffering’s origin,

dukkhassa ca atikkamaṁ;

suffering’s transcendence,

Ariyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ,

and the noble eightfold path

dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.

that leads to the stilling of suffering.

Sa sattakkhattuṁ paramaṁ,

After roaming on seven times at most,

sandhāvitvāna puggalo;

that individual

Dukkhassantakaro hoti,

makes an end of suffering,

sabbasaṁyojanakkhayā”ti.

with the ending of all fetters.”

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

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

Catutthaṁ.