The GangesGaṅgāsutta

Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove.Rājagahe viharati veḷuvane. Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and asked the Buddha,Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Worthy Gotama, how many eons have passed?”“kīvabahukā nu kho, bho gotama, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti?

“Brahmin, many eons have passed.“Bahukā kho, brāhmaṇa, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. It’s not easy to calculateTe na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.”‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’”ti.

“But worthy Gotama, can you give a simile?”“Sakkā pana, bho gotama, upamaṁ kātun”ti?

“I can,” said the Buddha.“Sakkā, brāhmaṇā”ti bhagavā avoca.

“Consider the Ganges River from where it originates to where it meets the ocean. Between these places it’s not easy to calculate“Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, yato cāyaṁ gaṅgā nadī pabhavati yattha ca mahāsamuddaṁ appeti, yā etasmiṁ antare vālikā sā na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: how many grains of sand there are, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of grains of sand.‘ettakā vālikā iti vā, ettakāni vālikasatāni iti vā, ettakāni vālikasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni vālikasatasahassāni iti vā’ti. The eons that have passed are more than this.Tato bahutarā kho, brāhmaṇa, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. It’s not easy to calculateTe na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’ti.

Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? This transmigration has no known beginning.Anamataggoyaṁ, brāhmaṇa, saṁsāro. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries.Evaṁ dīgharattaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, dukkhaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ tibbaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ byasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, kaṭasī vaḍḍhitā. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”Yāvañcidaṁ, brāhmaṇa, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.