The Mother’s Milk

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.

What do you think, Monks, which is more: the mother’s milk that you have drunk as you roamed and wandered on through this long course — this or the water in the four great oceans?

‘As we understand The Teachings taught by The Perfectly Enlightened One, Venerable Sir, the mother’s milk that we have drunk as we roamed and wandered on through this long course — this alone 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 mother’s milk that you have drunk as you roamed and wandered through this long course — this alone 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 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 15.4)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how the mother’s milk we have drunk in our past lives is equal to more water than in all of the seas.

We have lived so many past existences and experienced such great misery and despair in those existences, that The Buddha explains that the mother’s milk we have drunk amounts to more volume than all of the water in all of the seas.

As a being is hindered by its own ignorance (unknowing of true reality) and fettered by craving, we continue to roam and wander throughout The Cycle of Rebirth continuing to experience existence and discontentedness in each existence.