The Buddha teaches at Mount Vepulla near Rājagaha that transmigration has no known beginning, and that the mountain has worn away over aeons while beings have continued to roam fettered by ignorance and craving.

SN 15.20 Mount Vepulla

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘pācīnavaṁso’tveva samaññā udapādi. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘tivarā’tveva samaññā udapādi. Tivarānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ cattārīsa vassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. Tivarā, bhikkhave, manussā pācīnavaṁsaṁ pabbataṁ catūhena ārohanti, catūhena orohanti. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kakusandho bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Kakusandhassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa vidhurasañjīvaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vaṅkako’tveva samaññā udapādi. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘rohitassā’tveva samaññā udapādi. Rohitassānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ tiṁsavassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. Rohitassā, bhikkhave, manussā vaṅkakaṁ pabbataṁ tīhena ārohanti, tīhena orohanti. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena koṇāgamano bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Koṇāgamanassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhiyyosuttaraṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe… alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘supasso’tveva samaññā udapādi. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘suppiyā’tveva samaññā udapādi. Suppiyānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ vīsativassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi. Suppiyā, bhikkhave, manussā supassaṁ pabbataṁ dvīhena ārohanti, dvīhena orohanti. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti. Kassapassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa tissabhāradvājaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto. Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe… alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vepullo’tveva samaññā udapādi. Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imesaṁ manussānaṁ ‘māgadhakā’tveva samaññā udapādi. Māgadhakānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ appakaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ; yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ bhiyyo. Māgadhakā, bhikkhave, manussā vepullaṁ pabbataṁ muhuttena ārohanti muhuttena orohanti. Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno. Mayhaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sāriputtamoggallānaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ. Bhavissati, bhikkhave, so samayo ayañcevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antaradhāyissati, ime ca manussā kālaṁ karissanti, ahañca parinibbāyissāmi. Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā; evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Pācīnavaṁso tivarānaṁ,
rohitassāna vaṅkako;
Suppiyānaṁ supassoti,
māgadhānañca vepullo.

Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,
uppādavayadhammino;
Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,
tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Duggataṁ sukhitañceva,
tiṁsa mātāpitena ca;
Bhātā bhaginī putto ca,
dhītā vepullapabbataṁ.

Anamataggasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.

No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘pācīnavaṁso’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time, mendicants, this Mount Vepulla was known as Pācīnavaṁsa.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘tivarā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Tivaras.

Tivarānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ cattārīsa vassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Tivaras was 40,000 years.

Tivarā, bhikkhave, manussā pācīnavaṁsaṁ pabbataṁ catūhena ārohanti, catūhena orohanti.

It took them four days to climb Mount Vepulla, and four days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kakusandho bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Kakusandha, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Kakusandhassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa vidhurasañjīvaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Kakusandha had a fine pair of chief disciples named Vidhura and Sañjīva.

Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions,

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

so unstable are conditions,

evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

so unreliable are conditions.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vaṅkako’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Vaṅkaka.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘rohitassā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Rohitassas.

Rohitassānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ tiṁsavassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years.

Rohitassā, bhikkhave, manussā vaṅkakaṁ pabbataṁ tīhena ārohanti, tīhena orohanti.

It took them three days to climb Mount Vepulla, and three days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena koṇāgamano bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Koṇāgamana, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Koṇāgamanassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhiyyosuttaraṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Koṇāgamana had a fine pair of chief disciples named Bhiyyosa and Uttara.

Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…

So impermanent are conditions …

alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘supasso’tveva samaññā udapādi.

Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Supassa.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘suppiyā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And at that time people were known as Suppiyas.

Suppiyānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ vīsativassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.

The lifespan of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years.

Suppiyā, bhikkhave, manussā supassaṁ pabbataṁ dvīhena ārohanti, dvīhena orohanti.

It took them two days to climb Mount Vepulla, and two days to descend.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.

At that time Kassapa, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.

Kassapassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa tissabhāradvājaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Kassapa had a fine pair of chief disciples named Tissa and Bhāradvāja.

Passatha, bhikkhave, cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.

See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions …

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…

alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vepullo’tveva samaññā udapādi.

These days this Mount Vepulla is known as Vepulla.

Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imesaṁ manussānaṁ ‘māgadhakā’tveva samaññā udapādi.

And these people are known as Magadhans.

Māgadhakānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ appakaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ;

The lifespan of the Magadhans is short, brief, and fleeting.

yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ bhiyyo.

A long life is a hundred years or a little more.

Māgadhakā, bhikkhave, manussā vepullaṁ pabbataṁ muhuttena ārohanti muhuttena orohanti.

It takes the Magadhans an hour to climb Mount Vepulla, and an hour to descend.

Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno.

And now I am the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha who has arisen in the world.

Mayhaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sāriputtamoggallānaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

I have a fine pair of chief disciples named Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

Bhavissati, bhikkhave, so samayo ayañcevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antaradhāyissati, ime ca manussā kālaṁ karissanti, ahañca parinibbāyissāmi.

There will come a time when this mountain’s name will vanish, those people will die, and I will be fully extinguished.

Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

So impermanent are conditions,

evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

so unstable are conditions,

evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

so unreliable are conditions.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Pācīnavaṁso tivarānaṁ,

“For the Tivaras it was Pācīnavaṁsa,

rohitassāna vaṅkako;

for the Rohitassas, Vaṅkaka,

Suppiyānaṁ supassoti,

Supassa for the Suppiyas,

māgadhānañca vepullo.

and Vepulla for the Magadhans.

Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,

Oh! Conditions are impermanent,

uppādavayadhammino;

their nature is to rise and fall;

Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,

having arisen, they cease;

tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho”ti.

their settling is such bliss.”

Dasamaṁ.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Duggataṁ sukhitañceva,

tiṁsa mātāpitena ca;

Bhātā bhaginī putto ca,

dhītā vepullapabbataṁ.

Anamataggasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

The Linked Discourses on the unknown beginning are complete.

Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Ignorance

Ignorance

A fundamental blindness to the true nature of reality. It is not merely a lack of information, but an active misperception that views the transient as permanent and the unsatisfactory as a source of happiness, thereby fueling the cycle of suffering.

Also known as: illusion of knowing, fundamental unawareness of the true nature of reality, misunderstanding of how things have come to be, not knowing the four noble truths
Pāli: avijjā
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Last updated on July 27, 2026