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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

15. Anamataggasaṁyutta: On the Unknowable Beginning

I. The First Chapter — SN15.9: A Stick

1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Suppose a stick was tossed up in the air. Sometimes it’d fall on its bottom, sometimes the middle, and sometimes the top. It’s the same for sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Sometimes they go from this world to the other world, and sometimes they come from the other world to this world.

Why is that? Transmigration has no known beginning. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.

"Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daṇḍo uparivehāsaṁ khitto sakimpi mūlena nipatati, sakimpi majjhena nipatati, sakimpi antena nipatati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇā sattā taṇhāsaṁyojanā sandhāvantā saṁsarantā sakimpi asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ gacchanti, sakimpi parasmā lokā imaṁ lokaṁ āgacchanti.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro … pe … alaṁ vimuccitun"ti.

Navamaṁ.