The Stream of Shed Tears in this Cycle of Rebirth is More Than The Water in the Four Great Oceans

Good, good, Monks! It is good that you understand The Teachings taught by me in such a way. The stream of tears that you have shed as you roamed and wandered through this long course, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable - this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans.

For a long time, Monks, you have experienced the death of a mother; as you have experienced this, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable, the stream of tears that you have shed is more than the water in the four great oceans.

For a long time, Monks, you have experienced the death of a father … the death of a brother … the death of a sister ... the death of a son ... the death of a daughter … the loss of relatives ... the loss of wealth ... loss through illness; as you have experienced this, weeping and wailing because of being united with the disagreeable and separated from the agreeable, the stream of tears that you have shed is more than the water in the four great oceans.

For what reason?

Because, Monks, this Cycle of Rebirth is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance (unknowing of true reality) and fettered by craving.

It is enough to experience fading away of strong feelings towards all conditions, enough to become free from strong feelings towards them, enough to be liberated from them.

(Reference: SN 15.3)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how beings that are alive today have experienced countless existences in the past. He uses an analogy to help illustrate just how many rebirths we have each experienced prior to this existence.

The Buddha explains how the volume of tears we cried in all our past existences combined, equals more water than all the water in all “the four great oceans”.

This is shared to explain just how many countless rebirths we have each experienced and that there is no way to determine the start of The Cycle of Rebirth.

The ultimate goal of The Path to Enlightenment is to attain Enlightenment to completely eliminate all discontentedness from the mind while also eliminating continuous rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.

Detailed explanation of The Realms of Existence is available in this same book series found in the book “The Realms of Existence” (Volume 11).