The Long Āgama Sūtra 21.16

21.16

佛告諸比丘：「更有餘法，甚深微妙大法光明，唯有賢聖弟子能以此言讚嘆如來。何等是甚深微妙大光明法，賢聖弟子能以此法讚嘆如來？諸有沙門、婆羅門於本劫本見、末劫末見，種種無數，隨意所說，盡入六十二見中；本劫本見、末劫末見，種種無數，隨意所說，盡不能出過六十二見中。彼沙門、婆羅門以何等緣，於本劫本見、末劫末見，種種無數，各隨意說，盡入此六十二見中，齊是不過？諸沙門、婆羅門於本劫本見，種種無數，各隨意說，盡入十八見中；本劫本見，種種無數，各隨意說，盡不能過十八見中。彼沙門、婆羅門以何等緣，於本劫本見，種種無數，各隨意說，盡入十八見中，齊此不過？諸沙門婆羅門於本劫本見，起常論，言：『我及世間常存。』此盡入四見中；於本劫本見言：『我及世間常存。』盡入四見，齊是不過。

The Buddha told the monks, “Moreover, there’s another teaching that illuminates what’s profound, subtle, and great, but it’s only the noble disciples who praise this teaching of the Tathāgata’s. What is that profound, subtle, great, and illuminating teaching for which the noble disciples praise the Tathāgata?

“Ascetics and priests make diverse and countless statements as they like about past and future eons, and they all enter 62 views by doing so. Making these diverse and countless statements about past and future eons, none of them can go beyond these 62 views.

“What are the reasons those ascetics and priests make diverse and countless statements as they like about past and future eons and enter these 62 views that they don’t go beyond?

“Ascetics and priests each make diverse and countless statements as they like about past eons, and they all enter 18 views. Making these diverse and countless statements about past eons, none of them can go beyond these 18 views.

“What are the reasons those ascetics and priests make diverse and countless statements as they like about past eons, and enter these 18 views that they don’t go beyond?

“Ascetics and priests create this eternalist theory about past eons: ‘Self and the world always exists.’ They all enter four views. Regarding past eons, they say that self and the world always exists and don’t go beyond these four views that they enter.