The Long Āgama Sūtra 21.17

21.17

「彼沙門、婆羅門以何等緣，於本劫本見，起常論，言：『我及世間常存。』此盡入四見中，齊是不過？或有沙門、婆羅門種種方便，入定意三昧，以三昧心憶二十成劫敗劫，彼作是說：『我及世間是常，此實餘虛，所以者何？我以種種方便入定意三昧，以三昧心憶二十成劫敗劫，其中眾生不增不減，常聚不散，我以此知：我及世間是常，此實餘虛。』此是初見。沙門、婆羅門因此於本劫本見，計我及世間是常，於四見中，齊是不過。

“What are the reasons those ascetics and priests create eternalist theories about past eons, saying that self and the world always exist, and they don’t go beyond these four views that they enter?

“Some ascetics and priests use various methods to enter a samādhi of mind through which they remember 20 eons of [world] formation and destruction. They say, ‘Self and the world are eternal. This is true, the rest is false. Why is that? Using various methods, I entered a samādhi of mind through which I remembered 20 eons of [world] formation and destruction. During that time, sentient beings neither increased nor decreased. They always came together and didn’t scatter. By this, I know: “Self and the world are eternal. This is true; the rest is false.”’ This is the first view. As a result of this assertion about past eons that self and world are eternal, ascetics and priests don’t go beyond these four views.