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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 person 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 person

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 huge as Mount Vepulla,

Uttaro gijjhakūṭassa,
higher than the Vulture’s Peak

magadhānaṁ giribbaje.
near the Mountainfold of the Magadhans.

Yato ca ariyasaccāni,
But then, with right understanding,

sammappaññāya passati;
a person 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 person

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.