A monk asked the Buddha:
“How long have we been wandering through samsara?”
The Buddha answered:
“Every body you have ever carried. Every life you have protected. Every face you have called your own.
If you imagine all their bones gathered in one place, the pile would rise like a mountain.
You have been a child.
A parent.
A lover.
An enemy.
You have worked.
Wanted.
Fought.
Lost.
You have grown old.
You have died.
And each time,
you began again.”
The monk looked at the earth beneath his feet.
“How many times?”
The Buddha answered:
“Since beginningless time."