[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Buddhist Sanskrit literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit) › [Āgama sūtras of the mainstream schools](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama) › [Dīrghāgama (Dharmaguptaka)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama) › [長阿含經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas) › 18.21 # The Long Āgama Sūtra 18.21 長阿含經 18.21 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [18.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.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. > — Charles Patton, The Long Discourses (selected sūtras) > “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. > — Charles Patton, The Long Discourses (selected sūtras) > “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. > — Charles Patton, The Long Discourses (selected sūtras) > “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? > — Charles Patton, The Long Discourses (selected sūtras) - [Previous: 18.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.18.20) - [Next: 18.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.18.22) - [Up: 18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.18) ## Translations (2) - [The Long Discourses (selected sūtras)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas~en-patton.18.p32) — Charles Patton, English - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas~en-mt.18.21) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.18.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.agama.dirghagama*zh-buddhayasas.18.21) · Pramāṇa