1“Mendicants, an eon contains four uncountable periods. What four?

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When an eon contracts, it’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

2When an eon remains fully contracted, it’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

3When an eon expands, it’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

4When an eon remains fully expanded, it’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

These are the four uncountable periods of an eon.”

1"Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, kappassa asaṅkhyeyyāni. Katamāni cattāri?

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Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ – ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

2Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo saṁvaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ – ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

3Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ – ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

4Yadā, bhikkhave, kappo vivaṭṭo tiṭṭhati, taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ – ettakāni vassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatānīti vā, ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā, ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri kappassa asaṅkhyeyyānī"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.