Puggalasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.10

Linked Discourses 15.10

1. Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Puggalasutta

A Single Individual

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 …pe…

“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning. …

ekapuggalassa, bhikkhave, kappaṁ sandhāvato saṁsarato siyā evaṁ mahā aṭṭhikaṅkalo aṭṭhipuñjo aṭṭhirāsi yathāyaṁ vepullo pabbato, sace saṁhārako assa, sambhatañca na vinasseyya.

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.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro …pe…

This transmigration has no known beginning. …

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:

“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,

Ariyaṁ caṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ,

and the noble eightfold path

dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.

that leads to the stilling of suffering.

Sa sattakkhattuṁparamaṁ,

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.”

Dasamaṁ.

Paṭhamo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Tiṇakaṭṭhañca pathavī,

assu khīrañca pabbataṁ;

Sāsapā sāvakā gaṅgā,

daṇḍo ca puggalena cāti.