Below the Buddha describes the path to eternal life for 1-500 forward world cycles:
3. Pañhamananakaraõasuttaü - The first on diversity.
013.03. Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world. What four?Here, bhikkhus, a certain person secluding from sensual desires and demeritorious thoughts, with thoughts and discursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness born of seclusion attains to the first higher state of mind (that means no style, no constant mad use of force to stretch syllables, change speed and loudness). Enjoying it, longing for it, he attains prosperity in it. Keenly applying himself to it, making much of it and not decreasing from it, he dies and is born with the gods of the sphere of Brahma (The Father). The life span of those gods is a forward world cycle. Finishing his complete life span there, he would either be born in hell, as a beast, or as a ghost. As for the noble disciples of The Blessed One, they would finish the complete life span there and would extinguish in that same birth. Bhikkhus, this is the difference and diversity between the learned noble disciple and the not learned ordinary man in their course of action, birth and conscience
Again, bhikkhus, a certain person overcoming thoughts and discursive thoughts and internally appeasing the mind making it one pointed without thoughts and discursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness born of concentration attains to the second higher state of mind. Enjoying it, longing for it he attains prosperity in it. Keenly applying himself to it, making much of it, not decreasing from it he dies and is born with the gods of Radiance. The life span of those gods is two forward world cycles. Finishing his complete life span there, he would either be born in hell, as a beast, or as a ghost. As for the noble disciples of The Blessed One, they would finish the complete life span there and would extinguish in that same birth. Bhikkhus, this is the difference and diversity between the learned noble disciple and the not learned ordinary man in their course of action, birth and conscience
Again, bhikkhus, a certain person with equanimity to joy and detachment abides mindfull and aware experiencing pleasantness with the body tooòo this the noble ones say mindfull abiding in pleasantness with equanimity (neither stirring mental force to like nor dislike). He attains to this third higher state of mind. Enjoying it, longing for it he attains prosperity in it. Keenly applying himself to it, making much of it and not decreasing he dies and is born with the lustrous gods. The life span of those gods is four forward world cycles. Finishing his complete life span there, he would either be born in hell, as a beast, or as a ghost. As for the noble disciples of The Blessed One, they would finish the complete life span there and would extinguish in that same birth. Bhikkhus, this is the difference and diversity between the learned noble disciple and the not learned ordinary man in their course of action, birth and conscience
Again, bhikkhus, a certain person dispelling pleasantness and unpleasantness, and earlier having dispelled pleasure and displeasure without unpleasantness and pleasantness (neither pain nor pleasure) and purifying mindfulness with equanimity attains to the fourth higher state of mind. Enjoying it, longing for it he attains prosperity in it. Keenly applying himself to it, making much of it and not decreasing he dies and is born with the gods of Space. The life span of those gods is five hundred forward world cycles. Finishing his complete life span there, he would either be born in hell, as a beast, or as a ghost. As for the noble disciples of The Blessed One, they would finish the complete life span there and would extinguish in that same birth. Bhikkhus, this is the difference and diversity between the learned noble disciple and the not learned ordinary man in their course of action, birth and conscience
How long is a world cycle?
3. Sitting on a side the monk said to the Blessed One: ßVenerable sir, how long is a world cycle?û
4. ßMonk, a world cycle is very long and it is not easy to innumerate it as, `it's this amount of years' or `this amount of hundred years,' or `this amount of thousand years,' or `this amount of hundred thousand years'.û
5. ßVenerable sir, is it possible to give a comparison?û
6. The Blessed One said: ßPossible. Monk, in a poor city there is a block of mustard seeds seven miles by the length, breath and the height bound together by the roots. After the lapse of one hundred years a man comes and takes out one of the seeds. By this method the mustard seeds diminish and vanish but the world cycle does not come to an end.
7. ßMonk, so long is the world cycle. Many of these world cycles make a several world cycle and a collection of a hundred of the several world cycles make a several hundred world cycle and a collection of a thousand of the several world cycles make a several thousand world cycle and a collection of a hundred thousand of the several world cycles make a several hundred thousand world cycle.
8. ßWhat is the reason? Monks, without an end is the train of existence, a beginning cannot be pointed out of beings enveloped in ignorance and bound by craving, running from one existence to another.
ßMonks, it is suitable that you should turn away from all determinations, fade and be released from them.û
How many world cycles have there been?
3. Sitting on a side, the Brahmin said to the Blessed One: ßGood Gotama, has a large number of world cycles gone by and finished?û
4. ßBrahmin, a large number of world cycles have gone by, it is not easy to innumerate them as, it's this amount of world cycles,' or `this amount of hundred world cycles,' or `this amount of thousand world cycles,' or `this amount of hundred thousand world cycles'.û
5. ßGood Gotama, is it possible to give a comparison?û
6. The Blessed One said: ßPossible. Brahmin, the river Ganges from its source until it enters the ocean holds sand and pebbles and it is not easy to innumerate the sand as it is `this amount of grains of sand.' Or as `this much hundred grains of sand,' or `this much thousand grains of sand' or `this much hundred thousand grains of sand.'
7. ßIndeed brahmin, a large number of world cycles have gone by, it is not easy to innumerate them as, `it's this amount of world cycles,' or `this amount of hundred world cycles,' or `this amount of thousand world cycles,' or `this amount of hundred thousand world cycles.'
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