The Long Āgama Sūtra 21.21

21.21

「復有餘甚深微妙大法光明，使賢聖弟子真實平等讚嘆如來，何等是？諸沙門、婆羅門於本劫本見起論，言：『我及世間，半常半無常。』彼沙門、婆羅門因此於本劫本見，計我及世間半常半無常，於此四見中，齊是不過或過。或有是時，此劫始成，有餘眾生福盡、命盡、行盡，從光音天命終，生空梵天中，便於彼處生愛著心，復願餘眾生共生此處。此眾生既生愛著願已，復有餘眾生命、行、福盡，於光音天命終，來生空梵天中，其先生眾生便作是念：『我於此處是梵、大梵，我自然有，無能造我者；我盡知諸義典，千世界於中自在，最為尊貴，能為變化，微妙第一。為眾生父，我獨先有，餘眾生後來，後來眾生，我所化成。』其後眾生復作是念：『彼是大梵，彼能自造，無造彼者，盡知諸義典，千世界於中自在，最為尊貴，能為變化，微妙第一，為眾生父，彼獨先有，後有我等，我等眾生，彼所化成。』彼梵眾生命、行盡已，來生世間，年漸長大，剃除鬚髮，服三法衣，出家修道，入定意三昧，隨三昧心自識本生，便作是言：『彼大梵者能自造作，無造彼者，盡知諸義典，千世界於中自在，最為尊貴，能為變化，微妙第一。為眾生父，常住不變，而彼梵化造我等，我等無常變易，不得久住，是故當知：我及世間半常半無常，此實餘虛。』是謂初見。沙門、婆羅門因此於本劫本見起論，半常半無常，於四見中，齊是不過。

“Again, what’s the other teaching that illuminates what’s profound, subtle, and great and which causes the noble disciples to truly and equally praise the Tathāgata?

“Ascetics and priests create this theory about past eons: ‘Self and the world are half eternal and half impermanent.’ As a result of this assertion about past eons that self and the world are half eternal and half impermanent, those ascetics and priests don’t go beyond these four views.

“At the beginning of this eon of formation, there was a sentient being whose merits ended, whose life ended, and whose practice ended. When their life ended in the Ābhāsvara Heaven, they were born in an empty Brahma Heaven. This being’s mind craved that birthplace and so was born there. It also wished for other sentient beings to be born there, too.

“After this sentient being was born according to its craving and wish, there were other sentient beings whose lives, practices, and merits were exhausted. When their lives ended in the Ābhāsvara Heaven, they were reborn in that empty Brahma Heaven. The sentient being who was born there first thought, ‘Here, I am Brahma, Great Brahmā! I appeared spontaneously; it’s impossible that another created me. I know all meanings and scriptures, and I’m sovereign over a thousand worlds. I am the most honored who’s able to transform himself and who’s sublime, supreme, and the father of sentient beings. I was here first by myself, and those other sentient beings came later. I created those sentient beings who came later.’

“Those later sentient beings also thought, ‘He is Great Brahmā. He was able to create himself; no other could create him. He knows all meanings and scriptures, and he’s sovereign over a thousand worlds. He’s the most honored who’s able to transform himself and who’s, sublime, supreme, and the father of sentient beings. He was here first by himself, and it was later than we arrived. We sentient beings are his creations.’

“After the lives and practices of those brahma sentient beings are exhausted, they are born in the world and gradually grow up. They shave their hair, put on the three Dharma robes, and leave home to cultivate the path. They enter a samādhi of mind and become aware of their past births as a result of that samādhi. They say, ‘That Great Brahmā was able to create himself; no other could create him. He knows all meanings and scriptures, and he’s sovereign over a thousand worlds. He’s the most honored who’s able to transform himself and who’s sublime, supreme, and the father of sentient beings. Everlasting and unchanging is that Brahmā who created us, but we are impermanent, changing, and unable to last long. Therefore, it should be known: “Self and the world are half eternal and half impermanent. This is true; the rest is false.”’ This is called the first view. As a result of creating this theory about past eons [that self and world are] half eternal and half impermanent, ascetics and priests don’t go beyond these four views.