7.
The Disciple Discourse
130.
He was dwelling at Sāvatthī.
Then several monks approached the Blessed One... etc.
Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One -
"How many, venerable sir, cosmic cycles have gone by and passed?"
"Many, monks, are the cosmic cycles that have gone by and passed.
They are not easy to reckon -
'so many cosmic cycles, or so many hundreds of cosmic cycles, or so many thousands of cosmic cycles, or so many hundreds of thousands of cosmic cycles.'"
"But is it possible, venerable sir, to make a simile?" "It is possible, monks," the Blessed One said. "Suppose here, monks, there were four disciples with a life span of a hundred years, living for a hundred years. They might recollect day by day a hundred thousand cosmic cycles each. Even so, monks, the cosmic cycles not recollected by them would remain, yet those four disciples with a life span of a hundred years, living for a hundred years, would die by the elapse of a hundred years. Thus many, monks, are the cosmic cycles that have gone by and passed. They are not easy to reckon - 'so many cosmic cycles, or so many hundreds of cosmic cycles, or so many thousands of cosmic cycles, or so many hundreds of thousands of cosmic cycles.' What is the reason for this? This wandering in the round of rebirths, monks, is without discernible beginning, etc. enough to become liberated." The seventh.