The Long Course in The Cycle of Rebirth

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

Suppose, Monks, a man would cut up whatever grass, sticks, branches, and foliage there are in this Jambudīpa (one of the great continents) and collect them together into a single heap. Having done so, he would put them down, saying [for each one]: This is my mother, this my mother’s mother.

The sequence of that man’s mothers and grandmothers would not come to an end, yet the grass, wood, branches, and foliage in this Jambudīpa would be used up and exhausted.

For what reason?

Because, Monks, this Cycle of Rebirth is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not identifiable of beings roaming and wandering on, hindered by ignorance (unknowing of true reality) and fettered by craving. For such a long time, Monks, you have experienced discontentedness, misery, and disaster, and swelled the cemetery.

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.

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

Suppose, Monks, a man would reduce this great earth to balls of clay the size of jujube kernels (6 mm or 1/4 inch long) and put them down, saying [for each one]: This is my father, this my father’s father.

The sequence of that man’s fathers and grandfathers would not come to an end, yet this great earth would be used up and exhausted.

For what reason?

Because, Monks, this Cycle of Rebirth is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not identifiable of beings roaming and wandering on, hindered by ignorance (unknowing of true reality) and fettered by craving. For such a long time, Monks, you have experienced discontentedness, misery, and disaster, and swelled the cemetery.

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 15.1 and SN 15.2)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how the beginning of The Cycle of Rebirth is not discoverable and that we have all been countless beings in the past.