The Long Āgama Sūtra 18.21

18.21

「如來說法復有上者，謂說常法。常法者，諸沙門、婆羅門種種方便，入定意三昧，隨三昧心，憶識世間二十成劫敗劫，彼作是言：『世間常存，此為真實，餘者虛妄，所以者何？由我憶識，故知有此成劫敗劫，其餘過去我所不知，未來成敗我亦不知。』此人朝暮以無智說言：『世間常存，唯此為實，餘者為虛。』是為初常法。諸沙門、婆羅門種種方便，入定意三昧，隨三昧心，憶識四十成劫敗劫，彼作是言：『此世間常，此為真實，餘者虛妄。所以者何？以我憶識故知成劫敗劫，我復能過是，知過去成劫敗劫，我不知未來劫之成敗。』此說知始，不說知終，此人朝暮以無智說言：『世間常存，唯此真實，餘者虛妄。』此是二常法。諸沙門、婆羅門種種方便，入定意三昧，隨三昧心，憶識八十成劫敗劫，彼言：『此世間常，餘者虛妄。所以者何？以我憶識故知有成劫敗劫，復過是知過去成劫敗劫，未來劫之成敗我亦悉知。』此人朝暮以無智說言：『世間常存，唯此為實，餘者虛妄。』是為三常存法。此法無上，智慧無餘，神通無餘，諸世間沙門、婆羅門無有能與如來等者，況欲出其上？

“The Dharma that the Tathāgata teaches has another superiority, which is his explanation of eternalism. Eternalism refers to this: Ascetics and priests use various methods to enter a fixed samādhi of mind. Following that samādhi of mind, they recollect twenty eons of formation and destruction. They say, ‘The world is eternal. This is true; anything else is false. Why is that? From my recollection, I know there have been these eons of formation and destruction. I don’t know about anything further in the past, nor do I know about future eons of formation and destruction.’ This person speaks without knowledge morning and night, ‘The world is eternal. Only this is true; anything else is false.’ This is the first form of eternalism.

“Ascetics and priests use various methods to enter a fixed samādhi of mind. Following that samādhi of mind, they recollect forty eons of formation and destruction. They then say, ‘The world is eternal. This is true; anything else is false. Why is that? From my recollection, I know there have been these eons of formation and destruction. I could go beyond this knowledge of past eons of formation and destruction, but don’t I know about future eons of formation and destruction.’ This person speaks without knowledge morning and night, ‘The world is eternal. Only this is true; anything else is false.’ This is the second form of eternalism.

“Ascetics and priests use various methods to enter a fixed samādhi of mind. Following that samādhi of mind, they recollect eighty eons of formation and destruction. They say, ‘The world is eternal. [This is true;] anything else is false. Why is that? From my recollection, I know there have been these eons of formation and destruction. I could go beyond this knowledge of past eons of formation and destruction, and I fully know about future eons of formation and destruction.’ This person speaks without knowledge morning and night, ‘The world is eternal. Only this is true; anything else is false.’ This is the third form of eternalism.

“This Dharma is unsurpassed, his wisdom is complete, and his miraculous ability is complete. None of the world’s ascetics and priests can match the Tathāgata. How could they surpass him?