Parent:: [[Loka]] Related:: [[Jati|Jāti]] # Saṃsāra (Transmigration, Cycle of Rebirths) ## Saṃsāra is Beginningless ![[SN22.100 Dutiyagaddulabaddhasutta#^no-known-beginning]] ### Existence before "Ignorance"? — it does NOT exists > [!question] Why the "Beginning" of Samsara cannot be identified? — In Koṭipaññāyanapañha ([MIL3.3.3](https://suttacentral.net/mil3.3.3/en/sujato)) > The king asked: > _Rājā āha—_ > > “Venerable Nāgasena, concerning that which you said, ‘No earliest point can be discerned,’ what is this earliest point?” > _“bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘purimā koṭi na paññāyatī’ti, katamā ca sā purimā koṭī”ti?_ > > “That which is time in the past, your majesty, is the earliest point.” > _“Yo kho, mahārāja, atīto addhā, esā purimā koṭī”ti._ > > “Venerable Nāgasena, concerning that which you said, ‘No earliest point can be discerned,’ is it that all earliest points cannot be discerned?” > _“Bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘purimā koṭi na paññāyatī’ti, kiṁ pana, bhante, sabbāpi purimā koṭi na paññāyatī”ti?_ > > **==“Some can be discerned, your majesty, and some cannot be.==**” > _“Kāci, mahārāja, paññāyati, kāci na paññāyatī”ti._ > > “What can be discerned, venerable sir, and what cannot?” > _“Katamā, bhante, paññāyati, katamā na paññāyatī”ti?_ > > **==“That earliest point cannot be discerned, your majesty, where earlier than this no ignorance was existing at all, by any means, or in any way. That which having not existed arose, and having existed disappeared again, that earliest point can be discerned.==**” > > _“Ito pubbe, mahārāja, sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ avijjā nāhosīti esā purimā koṭi na paññāyati, yaṁ ahutvā sambhoti, hutvā paṭivigacchati, esā purimā koṭi paññāyatī”ti._ ## Painful Births are the GREAT MAJORITY in Saṃsāra > [!warning] Rebirth in Human is rare, but in Hell is MANY — In Manussacutinirayasutta ([SN56.102](https://suttacentral.net/sn56.102/en/sujato)) > Then the Buddha, picking up a little bit of dirt under his fingernail, addressed the mendicants: > _Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsuṁ āropetvā bhikkhū āmantesi:_ > > “What do you think, mendicants? > _“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,_ > > Which is more: the little bit of **dirt under my fingernail**, or this **great earth**?” > _katamaṁ nu kho bahutaraṁ—yo vāyaṁ mayā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito, ayaṁ vā mahāpathavī”ti?_ > > --- > “Sir, the great earth is certainly more. The **==little bit of dirt under your fingernail is tiny==**. > _“Etadeva, bhante, bahutaraṁ, yadidaṁ—mahāpathavī; appamattakāyaṁ bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito._ > > Compared to the great earth, **==it doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, it’s not worth a fraction==**.” > _Saṅkhampi na upeti, upanidhampi na upeti, kalabhāgampi na upeti mahāpathaviṁ upanidhāya bhagavatā paritto nakhasikhāyaṁ paṁsu āropito”ti._ > > --- > “In the same way, the sentient beings who **==die as humans and are reborn as humans are few==, while those who ==die as humans and are reborn in hell are many==** …” > > _“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, **appakā** te sattā ye **==manussā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti==**; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye **==manussā cutā niraye paccājāyanti==** …pe…._ ## Suttas ![[Loka#Cosmology & Samsara Saṃsāra (Transmigration)]]