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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.156

  • Numbered Discourses 4.156Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.156
  • 16. Faculties16. Indriyavagga

EonsKappasutta

“Mendicants, an eon contains four uncountable periods.“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, kappassa asaṅkhyeyyāni. What four?Katamāni cattāri?

When an eon contracts, it’s not easy to calculateYadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ— how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

When an eon remains fully contracted, it’s not easy to calculateYadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ— how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

When an eon expands, it’s not easy to calculateYadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ— how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

When an eon remains fully expanded, it’s not easy to calculateYadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ— how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

These are the four uncountable periods of an eon.”Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri kappassa asaṅkhyeyyānī”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. SN 15.5 A Mountain 0.53near 0.1Linked Discourses 15.5 Chapter One A Mountain At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and asked him, “Sir, how long is an eon?” “Mendicant, an eon is long. It’s not easy to calcu…