Toh 307The Sūtra on the Limits of Life

Summary

The Sūtra on the Limits of Life presents a detailed and systematic account of the lifespans of
different beings that inhabit the universe, progressing from the lower to the higher realms of existence as outlined in early
Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha describes the lifespans of beings in terms of the relationship or proportion between the lifespans
of the devas of the form realm and the lifespans in the eight major hot hells, the latter being significantly longer than the
former.

Acknowledgements

This sūtra was translated by Bruno Galasek-Hul with the help of Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche of the Evam Choden Buddhist
Center in Kensington (Berkeley), California. Thanks are due also to Prof. Stephen Jenkins for his helpful comments and advice.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

The Sūtra on the Limits of Life contains content and themes that predate the advent of
Mahāyāna Buddhism, and it has therefore been regarded by Tibetan tradition as a sūtra of the “Lesser Vehicle” (Hīnayāna). This can also be gleaned from the opening verses of its Tibetan
translation, which pay homage to the Three Jewels instead of all buddhas and bodhisattvas, as well as from the introductory
scene of the sūtra, in which the Buddha is not, as is usual in the sūtras of the Mahāyāna, surrounded by a large number of
bodhisattvas. In this sūtra, the Buddha, who is staying in Prince Jeta’s grove in Śrāvastī, addresses the monks directly and
teaches in detail about the lifespans of the beings inhabiting the different realms of existence of the Buddhist cosmos.

According to ancient Indian cosmology, since beginningless time the world has been inhabited not only by humans and
animals but by a vast array of different kinds of beings. Moreover, according to the Abhidharma, the Buddhist cosmos is
composed of three different realms that form three hierarchical cosmological levels: the desire realm, the form realm, and the
formless realm. Each of these three realms contains several sublevels inhabited by particular classes of
beings. When conceptualized as manifestations of different states of consciousness, the three realms may be called
spheres.

In the Buddhist understanding of karmic cause and effect, rebirth in one of the different realms is the karmic
result of one’s former actions. Thus the ten unwholesome
courses of action lead to rebirth in the three unfortunate rebirth-destinies: the realms of animals, pretas, and hell beings.
Their opposites, the ten wholesome courses of action, lead to rebirth in the fortunate rebirth-destinies: the human realm and
the six heavens of the desire realm.

Mastery of the stages of meditative absorption leads to rebirth on the different levels of the form realm and the
formless realm. In this regard, the karmic result of mastering the first meditative absorption is rebirth in one of the three
Brahmā realms. The karmic result of mastering the second meditative absorption is rebirth in the realms of the devas whose
names contain the word Radiance. The karmic result of mastering the
third meditative absorption is rebirth in the realms of the devas whose names contain the word
Virtue. Mastering the fourth meditative absorption leads to rebirth
among the devas of the Pure Abodes.

The Pure Abodes are subdivided into two levels, and this is where the accounts of different early Buddhist schools
seem to differ most. According to Theravāda sources, there are the levels of the Pure Abodes proper, with the addition of the Heaven of the
Insentient Beings and the Heaven of Great Reward,
respectively. These last two have their own karmic cause, namely, the attainment of a meditative absorption called
the attainment of the meditative state without consciousness, an ordinary attainment of the fourth
meditative absorption that can be realized by meditators who are not noble ones.
In the Pure Abodes proper, on the other hand, only non-returners can be born, and from there they attain nirvāṇa. The account
of the (Mūla-)Sarvāstivāda school seems to have two additional heavens beyond the Heaven of Perfect Virtue, which are absent
from the Theravāda sources, namely, the Cloudless Heaven and the Heaven Born from Merit. According to the Mahāvyutpatti, the Cloudless Heaven and the Heaven Born from Merit are the karmic result of
attaining the fourth meditative absorption. According to the Theravāda account, however, the fourth meditative absorption
(ordinary and non-ordinary) is associated only with the sublevels above the Heaven of Great Reward. The
Sūtra on the Limits of Life mentions these two additional heavens but does not specify whether they are the karmic
result of accomplishing the third or the fourth stage of meditative absorption.

In Buddhist cosmology, the axis mundi of the terrestrial world, which is
thought to be flat, is Mount Meru. It is surrounded by the four continents and is also the axis around which rotate the sun,
moon, and stars. The order of the realms of existence is vertical, with the higher realms located above Mount Meru and the
hells beneath the earth. The Sūtra on the Limits of Life mentions the four continents as the
places where humans live. Moreover, the world system just outlined, which is experienced differently
by the different sentient beings, is not the only world. In fact, the universe consists of numerous similar worlds or world
systems just like our own. It is, however, possible for any being—except for the beings in the unfortunate destinies, who have
invariably painful sense experiences—to mentally experience all the states of the fortunate and unfortunate
rebirth-destinies. The mental states of the
devas may be experienced by humans during advanced states of meditative absorption. Moreover, rebirth-destinies are not static
or permanent. Every living being has the potential to perform wholesome actions and thus accrue merit that eventually leads to
rebirth in a higher realm. Although the lifespans in some of the hells seem so long as to be virtually never-ending, Buddhism
does not have the notion of eternal damnation.

The Sūtra on the Limits of Life does not provide us with a detailed account of the
structure and the functioning of the universe. It rather presupposes the reader’s familiarity with such knowledge. The text’s
main point, as its title indicates, is to present its audience with detailed information about the duration of life of the
different forms of existence in the Buddhist universe. The Sūtra on the Limits of Life thus lists
the five rebirth-destinies (those of the hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, and devas) together with their subcategories
(the four continents inhabited by humans, the eight hot and the eight cold hells, and the different heavens of the form realm
and the formless realm) and carves out in a systematic way the relationship between the lifespans in the heavens and the
hells.

Although the presentation of the subject matter appears very scholastic, the sūtra’s message is renunciation. Actions
of body, speech, and mind bind beings to saṃsāra and lead to fortunate or unfortunate rebirth-destinies for unimaginably long
periods of time. Only liberation and the veneration of objects that are worthy of veneration, e.g., the Buddha and his Saṅgha,
can end this continuous cycle of death and rebirth. In the concluding section of the sūtra, the Buddha says, “I do not speak
with even the slightest praise of the manifestation of existence, however small it may be, however short in duration. Why is
that? Because the manifestation of existence is suffering.” Existence here refers to the five destinies,
that is, all the possible kinds and places of rebirth that the sūtra portrays, from the hell Incessant Torture to the Sphere
of Neither Perception nor Non-perception, which is the peak—the highest possible form—of existence.

For the convenience of the reader, we present in the appendix a list of the different states of existence in the order
in which they appear in the sūtra, together with their lifespans and their arithmetic relationship to the human lifespan (see

Appendix).

On the Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan Sources

In the 1989 supplement (no. 2) of the Sanskrit-Wörterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den
Turfan-Funden (“Sanskrit Dictionary of the Buddhist Texts from the Turfan Expeditions”), the Japanese scholar
Hisashi Matsumura presented an edition of the Sanskrit text of the Āyuḥparyantasūtra
together with a critical edition of the Tibetan translation based on five editions (the Narthang, Degé, Choné, Lhasa, and
Kangxi Kangyurs). Matsumura prepared his Sanskrit edition on the basis of Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra’s (1959–74) facsimile
edition of a manuscript from Gilgit in present-day northern Pakistan. Gilgit was an important transit zone for traveling
Buddhist monks from India, Iran, and China and an important connector between South Asia and the Central Asian Silk
Roads. During the reign of the Palola Ṣāhis
(c. 585–720 ce), who were patrons of Buddhism, Gilgit was a flourishing Buddhist kingdom, and there
is evidence that Buddhism was alive in Gilgit until at least the tenth century, an estimate that sits well with the date of the single Chinese translation. The Jiaoliang shouming jing
較量壽命經 was translated in 984 ce by Tianxi Zai, a Kashmiri Buddhist monk
who was active as a translator in China from 980–1000 ce; however, Matsumara states that the
Chinese translation appears to be based on a different version of the sūtra. It is still possible that Tianxi Zai brought a version of the
sūtra with him to China. In any case, the editors of the Gilgit manuscript had given it the mistaken title Kālasūtra, which is the name of one of the hells mentioned in the sūtra itself. Concerning its
style, the sūtra’s syntax is very repetitive, except for the fifty-two verses that make up a considerable part of the text.
Some of these verses are also found in the celebrated Buddhist verse collections, the Udānavarga and the Dharmapada.

Oskar von Hinüber, based on an earlier observation by Gregory Schopen, was able to identify this text with the Tibetan
translation of The Sūtra on the Limits of Life. While the order of the folios in Vira and Chandra’s edition of the Gilgit manuscripts were in
disarray, Matsumura restored the order of the folios and the missing or destroyed parts of the Sanskrit text with the help of
its Tibetan and Chinese translations, finding the Sanskrit to be more than ninety percent complete. Matsumura furthermore
found there to be “the highest degree of congruency” between the Sanskrit text and the Tibetan translation. However, in the process of translating the work from both the Sanskrit and the Tibetan, we found
occasional discrepancies between the Tibetan translation and the edited Sanskrit text to be more significant than Matsumura
suggests.

As for the Tibetan translation, the translators for this particular text are listed in the Tibetan colophon as the
Indian preceptor Viśuddhasiṃha and the Tibetan monk Gewé Pal. Their translation was subsequently revised and finalized by the
Indian preceptor Vidyākarasiṃha and the chief editor-translator, Bandé Paltsek. All these contributors flourished during the
late eighth and early ninth centuries, and so the Tibetan translation, which we have rendered into English here, would have
been completed during the early translation period, a dating also attested by the text’s inclusion in the early-ninth-century
Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) inventory of translations into Tibetan. We are aware of only one Tibetan commentary on The Sūtra on the Limits
of Life, a rather late Tibetan commentary by Choné Lama Drakpa Shedrup (co ne bla ma
grags pa bshad sgrub, 1675–1748).

The English translation presented here is based on the Tibetan text of the Degé Kangyur. In several cases, however, we
have followed the Sanskrit instead of the Tibetan, recording these choices and their rationale in the notes. For example, we
adopted the Sanskrit readings of the numerals of the lifespans of the different classes of beings where they seemed to
represent the more correct numbers and were furthermore corroborated by other sources. Also, where the Sanskrit text differed
significantly from the Tibetan, we have recorded the Sanskrit reading in the notes.

The Translation

The Sūtra on the Limits of Life

{S74} Homage to the Three Jewels!

Thus did I hear at one time.
{S75} The Bhagavān was staying in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. There the Bhagavān addressed the monks: “Monks, do you wish to learn about the lifespans of beings?”

“Yes, Bhagavān, this is the right time for it! Sugata, the time is right for the Bhagavān to teach the monks the
lifespans of living beings. Bhagavān, having heard the teaching from the Bhagavān, the monks will retain it.”

“Monks, listen carefully and concentrate! I will teach.

“Monks, the maximum lifespan in the hell realms is one eon. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the maximum lifespan in the animal realm is
one eon. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, one day for the pretas corresponds to thirty days for humans. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and
twelve months constitute one year, pretas have a lifespan of five hundred years by this way of calculating. According to human years, this is fifteen thousand years. Premature death
does occur.”

Then, at this time, the Bhagavān spoke these verses:

“With their mouths and throats parched, they suffer intensely.

Their bodies rise high like mountains tall.

They are all coated in hair, their mouths are fretfully agape,

Their noses extremely thin like needles. {S76}

“Their skeleton-like, naked bodies are clad only in their own hair—

Deformed figures with hands like cups,

They suffer intensely from hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

They howl, and their aching bodies writhe.

“Constantly experiencing painful sensations, they cry out in agony.

Those who resort to jealousy and spite for others in this world,

Having committed negative actions,

Will be born in the realm of the pretas.

“Monks, the lifespan of human beings inhabiting the eastern continent Pūrvavideha is two hundred fifty years. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of human beings inhabiting the western continent Avaragodānīya is five hundred years. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of human beings inhabiting the northern continent Uttarakuru is one thousand years. Premature death does not occur.

“Why do the human beings who inhabit the continent Uttarakuru have a lifespan of one thousand years and not experience
premature death?

“Monks, the human beings inhabiting the continent Uttarakuru have no sense of mine and no notion
of ownership, and their lifespan is predetermined. When they die and pass from there, they progress higher and higher, and in the future they go to heaven. Monks, this is why the human beings inhabiting the
continent Uttarakuru have a lifespan of one thousand years and do not experience premature death.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Beings who are stricken by poverty

Hope for the riches of others.

Because they have not served and relied on noble beings,

They will become the low and mean servants of others.

“The affluent and rich,

Possessing all kinds of enjoyments, {S77}

As well as money, grains, and servants,

Are those who have served and relied on noble beings.

“Those who live meritorious lives,

By performing virtuous actions here and now,

Will delight in great prosperity

And abundance like a deva.

“Since what is beyond the range of sense perception is not apparent,

Look directly at what is present:

When people experience happiness in this world,

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The humans inhabiting the northern continent

Have no sense of mine and no notion of ownership.

They use clothing from the wish-fulfilling tree—

That is the result of former generosity.

“They experience neither cold nor heat,

They are free from illnesses,

And they possess perfect bodies and complexion—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“On the northern continent

Grows very white rice

Whose grains are unbroken, smooth, pure, and clean—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“Pure light-generating crystals

Shine for beings continuously

And cook their food—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“They have no vegetables,

And not even a little dahl.

They always eat rice

Endowed with perfect color, smell, and taste.

“With only one serving of that food,

Until they get up from their seats

The food on their plates is inexhaustible—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“A fruit that resembles the bottle gourd

Grows on branches even when cut.

One can eat them off the vine—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The rivers there carry cool water that

When drunk, does not harm the stomach

And that possesses the eight superior qualities —

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The people of Uttarakuru constantly divert themselves

With magical trees that emit music.

Their minds are always happy—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The lovely magical music-trees,

The many magical garment-trees,

The perfect-smelling perfume-trees—

They are the karmic result of former generosity.

“Perfume, flowers, music,

And garments too—

Whatever the heart desires

Manifests exactly as imagined.

“On lush green meadows,

With grass soft like cotton wool,

They enjoy themselves all day— [91]

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“They are without anger.

Never begrudging or jealous,

They enjoy one another —

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“During the first watch of the night

A rain shower falls for only an instant

And cleans the air of dust—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“Since they are not possessive,

Even the mother-and-son relationship is unknown to them.

When nothing unpleasant exists, sorrow is nonexistent —

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“Mothers can even leave their children

On empty roads and go their way,

Because milk trickles from everyone’s thumbs—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“No one cries there.

When someone dies, they just leave the body and go on their way.

Birds come and clean the island of the corpses—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The whole of Uttarakuru is enclosed by a moat,

Within which Uttarakuru’s inhabitants safely enjoy and divert themselves

With songs and dance, most beautiful to behold—

That is the karmic result of former generosity.

“The people there live for one thousand years,

And they certainly use it up.

They do not die prematurely —

That is the karmic result of former generosity!

“Having fully enjoyed this beauty and abundance,

Even though they will have to forsake their human bodies,

They will take rebirth among the devas —

That is the karmic result of former generosity. {S78}

“Monks, the lifespan of the humans of the southern continent of Jambudvīpa is not fixed; it varies. More
precisely, monks, the maximum lifespans of the humans of Jambudvīpa are unlimited, eighty thousand years, one hundred years,
and ten years.

“Monks, the lifespan at the present time of the humans of Jambudvīpa amounts to one hundred years. Monks, presently those among the
humans of Jambudvīpa who live long can reach an age of one hundred years, or a little more than that, when looked after with
proper care.

“Monks, during a lifespan of one hundred years, people undergo ten stages.
At the first stage, they are infants, feeble and lying on
their back. At the second stage they are children, disposed to playing. At the third stage, as youths, they chase after
pleasure. At the fourth stage they are endowed with physical strength and strong enthusiasm. At the fifth stage they possess
prudence and self-confidence. At the sixth stage they are experienced and more given to reflection. At the seventh stage they
practice religion with all their heart. At the eighth stage they
are venerable and people of distinction. At the ninth
stage they are old, fragile, and weakened by age. At the tenth stage life is exhausted and only death remains. Monks, in a hundred years, their lives undergo those ten stages.

“Monks, living for one hundred years, they live for one hundred times each the three seasons: one hundred winters, one
hundred summers, and one hundred rains. Living three seasons one hundred times each, they live for twelve months one hundred times: four months each of
winters, four of summers, and four of rains. Living for twelve months one hundred times, they live for twenty-four times one
hundred half-months, or two thousand four hundred half-months: eight half-months each of winters, eight half-months of
summers, and eight half-months of rains. Living twenty-four times one hundred half-months, they live for thirty-six thousand
days: twelve thousand days each of summer, winter, and rains.

“Living for thirty-six thousand days, they eat seventy-two thousand meals, except for when there is something that
prevents them from eating. These meal interruptions are as
follows: when they are angry, they do not eat; when they suffer, they do not eat; when impoverished, they do not eat; during fasting, they do not eat; because of loss, they do not eat;
because of gain, too, they do not eat; when sleeping, they do not eat; when drunk, they do not eat; due to being drowsy, they do not eat. Thus, in sum, the meals that are
eaten and the meals that are not eaten are altogether seventy-two thousand meals during one lifetime, including the milk from
their mother that they have drunk. {S79}

“Monks, I have expounded and itemized the lives of human beings in Jambudvīpa in terms of seasons, months, half
months, days, meals, and even the interruptions to meals.

“Monks, fifty human years corresponds to one day and night in the life of the devas belonging to the retinue of the
Four Great Kings. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve months constitute one year, the lifespan of the
devas belonging to the retinue of the Four Great Kings is five hundred divine years by this way of calculating. According to
human years, this is nine million years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, nine million years—corresponds to one day and night for the beings in the great hell Revival.

Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of beings in the great
hell Revival is, by this way of calculating, five hundred years. In human years, this is 1 trillion 620 billion years.
Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“By committing harmful actions

With body, speech, and mind,

And whatever other actions that bring harm,

Beings are reborn in the hell Revival.

For one thousand times ten million years

They are tortured and killed, only to be revived.

“People who kill other people,

Because they are tied to one another by hatred,

Will, by virtue of this karma,

Be reborn in Revival.

“Monks, one hundred human years corresponds to one day and night for the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of the devas of the
Heaven of the Thirty-Three is one thousand divine years by this way of calculating. According to human years, this is thirty-six million years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, thirty-six million years—corresponds to one day and night for the beings in the great hell Black
Thread. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and
twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of beings in the great hell Black Thread is one thousand years by this
way of calculating. According to human years, this is 12 trillion 960 billion years. Untimely death does occur.” {S80}

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Those who harm their father or mother,

Or buddhas or śrāvakas,

Will be born in the great hell Black Thread

And experience painful bodily sensations.

“Those who are lackadaisical and brag about it,

And people who create discord among friends,

Are reborn in Black Thread.

Likewise, those who repeatedly tell lies

Are reborn in the great hell Black Thread

Because of that karma.

“Monks, two hundred human years corresponds to one day and night for the devas of the Heaven Free from Strife. Since
thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of the devas of the Heaven
Free from Strife is two thousand divine years by this way of calculating. According to human years this is 144 million
years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, one hundred forty-four million years—is one day and night for the beings in the great hell
Crushing. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months
constitute one year, the lifespan of the beings in the great hell Crushing is two thousand years by this way of calculating.
According to human years, this is 103 trillion 680 billion years. Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Having committed the threefold unwholesome deeds,

And having neglected the threefold wholesome ones,

Through this karma one will be reborn

In the great hell Crushing.

“Having slain cows, goats, water
buffalo,

Game, fowl, pigs,

Or other such animals,

One will be reborn in Crushing.

“Monks, four hundred human years corresponds to one day and night for the devas of the Heaven of Joy. Since thirty
such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of the devas of the Heaven of Joy is
four thousand divine years by this way of calculating. According to human years, this is 576 million {S81} years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, five hundred seventy-six million human years—corresponds to one day and night for the beings in the
great hell Wailing. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one
year, the lifespan of the beings in the great hell Wailing is four thousand years by this way of calculating. According to
human years, this is 829 trillion 440 billion years.
Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Those whose hands are smeared with blood,

Whose appearance is dreadful, fierce, and terrifying,

Through their evil conduct

Will forever go to Wailing.

“Flatterers and conjurers, and those who
use deceit to cheat others,

May not utter terrifying sounds,

But because they ruin people,

They will burn in hell for a long time.

“Monks, eight hundred human years corresponds to one day and night for the devas of the Heaven of Delighting in
Emanations. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of the devas
of the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations is eight thousand years by this way of calculating. According to human years, this
is 2 billion 304 million years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, 2 billion 304 million years—corresponds to one day and night for the beings inhabiting the great hell
Loud Wailing. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year, the lifespan of the
beings inhabiting the great hell Loud Wailing
is eight thousand years by this way of calculating. According
to human years, this is 6 quadrillion 635 trillion 520 billion years. Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Those who are obstructed by the thicket of wrong views

And blinded by the veil of craving

Will certainly go to Loud Wailing

Due to their evil conduct. {S82}

“People who violate friendship and confidentiality

Will burn in the blazing,

Bloodcurdling hell Loud Wailing,

Where they are imprisoned in a circular house.

“There, swords will cut to pieces the bodies

Of people who have engaged in backbiting.

Vultures, crows, owls, and dogs

Will shake their bodies to and fro before devouring them.

“Monks, one thousand six hundred human years corresponds to one day and night for the devas of the Heaven of the Masters of Others’
Creations. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such months constitute one year,
the lifespan of the devas of the Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations is sixteen thousand years by this way of
calculating. According to human years, this is 9 billion 216 million years. Premature death does occur.

“This—that is, nine billion two hundred sixteen million years—corresponds to one day and night for the beings
inhabiting the great hell Heat. Since thirty such days constitute one month, and twelve such
months constitute one year, the lifespan of the beings inhabiting the great hell Heat is sixteen thousand years
by this way of calculating. According to human years this is 53 quadrillion 84 trillion 160 billion years. Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Those who repeatedly
afflict

Good monks and brahmins,

As well as their father and mother,

Will be reborn in Heat.

“Someone who inflicts a lot of pain

On many beings in this world

Will be reborn in Heat

On account of this karma.

“Monks, do you want to hear about the lifespan of beings who have been reborn in the Blistering Hell?”

“Yes, Bhagavān, the time is right for that. Sugata, this is the right time for it. We, the monks, having heard the
teaching from the Blessed One about the lifespan of beings that have been reborn in the Blistering Hell, will retain the
teaching well.”

“Monks, in that case, listen carefully and concentrate! I will teach. Monks, it is like this: Imagine a
container with a capacity of twenty khārī that contains a full measure of twenty khārī of Kosalan sesame seeds and is filled to the brim with them.
{S83} Now imagine that someone were to remove a single seed from that container every hundred
years. I say, monks, that the
contents of that container holding twenty khārīs of sesame seeds would quickly be emptied out completely by this method, but,
monks, not so the lifespan of beings who have been reborn in the Blistering Hell.

“Twenty times the lifespan in the Blistering Hell is that in the Bursting Blister Hell. Twenty times the lifespan in the Bursting Blister Hell is that in the
Hell of Chattering Teeth. Twenty times the lifespan in the Hell of Chattering Teeth is that in the Hell of Lamentation. Twenty
times the lifespan in the Hell of Lamentation is that in the Cold Whimpering Hell. Twenty times the lifespan in the Cold
Whimpering Hell is that in the Splitting Open Like a Blue Lotus Hell. Twenty times the lifespan in the Splitting Open Like a
Blue Lotus Hell is that in the Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell. Twenty times the lifespan in the Splitting Open Like a Lotus
Hell is the Great Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell. Devadatta’s
partisan, the monk Kokālika, because
he felt anger toward the monks Śāriputra and
Maudgalyāyana, will be reborn in
the Great Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell with his own body.

“Therefore, monks, you should train the mind thus: not even toward the burnt stump of a tree should you generate an
attitude of hatred, let alone toward a conscious being! You should train in that way, monks!”

Then, at this point, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Some people are born ,

With a hatchet in their mouth,

With which they only cut themselves

When speaking words of evil. {S84}

“Those who praise the ones who are to be reproached

And those who reproach the ones who are to be praised

Accumulate with their mouths that evil,

Due to which they cannot find happiness.

“This is a small sin:

Losing all one’s wealth through gambling.

This is a great sin:

Getting angry at the Tathāgata.

“Those who abuse the noble ones,

Having thus directed evil words and thoughts against them,

Will go to hell for one hundred thousand nirarbudas

And thirty-six arbudas.

“Speaking untruth with a mind intending evil

Is what destroys one and hurls one into hell.

A mind that is not tainted by these stains,

That is blameless, is steadfast. {S85}

“Monks, the lifespan of beings inhabiting the great hell Intense Heat is half an eon. Premature death does occur.”

Then, at that point, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Having abandoned wholesome actions

Through which one is reborn in heaven,

And having done harmful actions here, in this world,

One is reborn in Intense Heat.

“Those who harm good ascetics or brahmins,

Or their father or mother,

Or any other teacher

Will boil in Intense Heat.

“Monks, the lifespan of the beings in the great hell Incessant Torture is one eon.
Premature death does occur. This is where the fool Devadatta was reborn with his own body because he split the undivided
Saṅgha
and, with evil intentions, drew the Tathāgata’s blood and beat a
nun, who was an arhantī, to death.”

Then, at that time, the Bhagavān spoke the following verses:

“Those who are so foolish as to treat with contempt and reject

The teaching of those noble ones who worthily live according to the truth,

Because they have resorted to evil views,

Cultivate a deadly fruit, like the fruit of the thorny bamboo.

They should only speak benevolently.

They should not speak maliciously.

When they speak benevolently, things will turn out well.

When they speak maliciously, they will burn.

When fools utter malicious speech,

They become enchained.

Only fools speak maliciously;

Noble ones never utter them!

“Having committed heinous acts in this world,

Which lead to unfortunate rebirth-destinies,

Through this karma,

One will be reborn in Incessant Torture. {S86}

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Brahmā’s Retinue is
half an eon. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Brahmā’s Ministers is three quarters of an eon.
Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Great Brahmā is one eon. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Limited Radiance is two eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Boundless Radiance is four eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Luminous Radiance is eight eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Limited Virtue is sixteen eons. Premature death does
occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Boundless Virtue is thirty-two eons. Premature
death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Perfect Virtue is
sixty-four eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Cloudless Heaven is one hundred twenty-five eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven Born from Merit is two hundred fifty eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Great Reward is five hundred eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of both the Insentient Beings and the devas of the Unlofty Heaven is one thousand eons. Premature death does occur. {S87}

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in Sorrowless Heaven
is two thousand eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Sublime Vision is four thousand eons. Premature death
does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas in the Heaven of Great Vision is eight thousand eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas belonging to the Sphere of the Infinity of Space is twenty thousand eons. Premature death does
occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas belonging to the Sphere of the Infinity of Consciousness is forty thousand eons.
Premature death does occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas belonging to the Sphere of Nothingness is sixty thousand eons. Premature death does
occur.

“Monks, the lifespan of the devas belonging to the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception is eighty thousand
eons. Premature death does occur.

“Monks, from the hell Incessant Torture up to the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception—which, monks, is
the peak of existence—these states respectively demarcate the upper and lower limits of the whole of existence. These states
are the manifestation of existence. They are the places where living beings of the five rebirth-destinies come and go, live,
die, and are reborn. Enough with the manifestation of existence! I do not speak with even the slightest praise of the manifestation
of existence, however small it may be, however short in duration. Why is that? Because the manifestation of existence is suffering.
Take, for instance, something that is impure: when even a little of it stinks, how much more so does a lot of it! In the same
way, I do not speak with even the slightest praise of the manifestation of existence, however small it may be, however short
in duration. Why is that? Because, monks, the manifestation of existence is suffering. Ordinary, worldly people, uneducated in
the Dharma, continually
cycle again and again in the five rebirth-destinies; again and
again they rush to the hells, again and again to the animal realm, again and again to evil states, to unfortunate
rebirth-destinies, to destruction. Therefore, monks, you should train in this way: ‘I shall strive to cut off the stream of
existence at any point and not let saṃsāra unfold!’ Monks, you should train in this way!”

After the Blessed One had thus spoken, the monks were deeply overjoyed and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.

This concludes “The Sūtra on the Limits of Life.”

Colophon

This was translated by the Indian preceptor Viśuddhasiṃha and the monk Gewé Pal. It was revised and finalized by the
Indian preceptor Vidyākarasiṃha and the chief editor-translator Bandé Paltsek.

Notes

Abbreviations

{SXY}
Numbers in curly brackets preceded by S indicate page number in Matsumura’s edition (Matsumura
1989) of the Sanskrit text of the Gilgit manuscript.

AK

Abhidharmakośakārikā
of Vasubandhu.

AKBh

Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam
of Vasubandhu.

AKBh(P)

Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam in Pradhan and Haldar 1975.

AKBh(D)

Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam in Śāstrī 1981.

AN

Aṅguttara-Nikāya in Morris and Hardy 1883–1910.

Āps

Āyuḥparyantasūtra.

Arv

Avś

Avadānaśataka. GRETIL edition.

BHSD
Edgerton, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary, vol. 2: Dictionary.

BHSG
Edgerton, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary, vol 1: Grammar.

Dhp

Dhammapada in Hinüber and Norman 1995.

DPPN
Malalasekera, G. P. Dictionary of Pali Proper Names.

GDhp

Dhammapada in Brough 1962.

Negi
Negi, J. S. Tibetan–Sanskrit Dictionary.

Mvy

Mahāvyutpatti. See Braarvig and Liland, “Mahāvyutpatti with sGra sbyor bam po gñis
pa.”

PDhp

Dhammapada in Roth 1980.

PED
Rhys Davids and Stede, Pali English Dictionary.

pw
Böhtlingk, Otto. Petersburger Wörterbuch.

Sn

Suttanipāta. GRETIL edition.

SN

Samyutta-Nikāya. GRETIL edition.

Uv

Udānavarga in Bernhard 1965.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Tibetan

Sanskrit and Pāli

Secondary Sources & Translations of Works Used

Tables

Lifespans of States of Existence in The Sūtra on the Limits of Life

UNFORTUNATE REBIRTH DESTINIES

Destiny
Lifespan

Hell beings
Maximum one eon.

Animals
Maximum one eon.

Pretas
Five hundred years.

HUMAN REALMS

Location
Lifespan

Pūrvavideha
Two hundred fifty years.

Avaragodānīya
Five hundred years.

Uttarakuru
One thousand years.

Jambudvīpa
Not fixed: unlimited, eighty thousand, one hundred, or ten years, depending on the eon.

HEAVENS AND HELLS OF THE DESIRE REALM

Location
Lifespan

The retinue of the Four Great Kings
Five hundred years = 9 million human years (one day = 50 human years).

Revival (hell)
Five hundred years = 1 trillion 620 billion human years (one day = 9 million human years).

Heaven of the Thirty-Three
One thousand years = 36 million years (one day = 100 human years).

Black Thread (hell)
One thousand years = 12 trillion 960 billion human years (one day = 36 million human years).

Heaven Free from Strife
Two thousand years = 144 million human years (one day = 200 human years).

Crushing (hell)
Two thousand years = 103 billion 680 million human years (one day = 144 million human years).

Heaven of Joy
Four thousand years = 576 million human years (one day = 400 human years).

Wailing (hell)
Four thousand years = 829 trillion 440 billion human years (one day = 576 million human years).

Heaven of Delighting in Emanations
Eight thousand years = 2 billion 304 million human years (one day = 800 human years).

Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations
Sixteen thousand years = 9 billion 216 million human years (one day = 1,600 human years).

Eight Cold Hells
Unspecified, exceedingly long timespans. (In relative terms, the lifespan of each subsequent cold hell is prolonged
by a factor of twenty, e.g., the lifespan in Bursting Blister Hell is twenty times longer than the lifespan in
Blistering Hell).

Intense Heat (hell)
Half an eon.

Incessant Torture (hell)
One eon.

HEAVENS OF THE FORM REALM

Location
Lifespan

Heaven of Brahmā’s Retinue
Half an eon.

Heaven of Brahmā’s Ministers
Three quarters of an eon (one eon according to the Sanskrit).

Heaven of Great Brahmā
One eon (one and a half eons according to the Sanskrit).

Heaven of Limited Radiance
Two eons.

Heaven of Boundless Radiance
Four eons.

Heaven of Luminous Radiance
Eight eons.

Heaven of Limited Virtue
Sixteen eons.

Heaven of Boundless Virtue
Thirty-two eons.

Heaven of Perfect Virtue
Sixty-four eons.

Cloudless Heaven
One hundred twenty-five eons.

Heaven Born from Merit
Two hundred fifty eons.

Heaven of Great Reward
Five hundred eons.

THE PURE ABODES

Location
Lifespan

Insentient Beings
One thousand eons.

Unlofty Heaven
One thousand eons (Insentient Beings = five hundred eons according to the Sanskrit).

Sorrowless Heaven
Two thousand eons.

Heaven of Sublime Vision
Four thousand eons.

Heaven of Great Vision
Eight thousand eons.

Highest Heaven

Sixteen thousand eons.

HEAVENS OF THE FORMLESS REALM

Location
Lifespan

Sphere of the Infinity of Space
Twenty thousand eons.

Sphere of the Infinity of Consciousness
Forty thousand eons.

Sphere of Nothingness
Sixty thousand eons.

Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception
Eighty thousand eons.

manifestation of existence

srid pa’i ’byung ba
སྲིད་པའི་འབྱུང་བ།

Gewé Pal

dge ba’i dpal
དགེ་བའི་དཔལ།

Bandé Paltsek

ban de dpal brtsegs
བན་དེ་དཔལ་བརྩེགས།