Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.156
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 4.156
16. Indriyavagga
16. Faculties
Kappasutta
Eons
“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, kappassa asaṅkhyeyyāni.
“Mendicants, an eon contains four uncountable periods.
Katamāni cattāri?
What four?
Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ—
When an eon contracts, it’s not easy to calculate
ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.
how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.
Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ—
When an eon remains fully contracted, it’s not easy to calculate
ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.
how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.
Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ—
When an eon expands, it’s not easy to calculate
ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.
how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.
Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ—
When an eon remains fully expanded, it’s not easy to calculate
ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.
how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri kappassa asaṅkhyeyyānī”ti.
These are the four uncountable periods of an eon.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.