大乘義章 6.50

6.50

所言亦常亦無常者，如經中說「有諸沙門婆羅門等，起如是論：我及世間，半常半無常。」入四見中，齊見不過。何者四見？如此世界劫初成時，大梵已還空無眾生。彼光音天有一天子，光音天中福命將盡，生於初禪大梵天中。彼天生已，便於是處生愛著心，作是念言：「願餘眾生，共我生此。」時光音天有諸天子，福命將盡，生此天中。彼先生者，便作是念：「我於此處最尊最貴，為眾生父。自然而有，無造我者。我福是常，餘皆我作。我所化生，皆是無常。」後生諸梵亦生是心：「是諸梵中有命終者，來生人間，後修定意憶識往事，便作是言：『彼大梵王自然而有，無造作者，一向是常。後生諸梵，為他造作，一向無常。』」是故世間亦常無常。此實餘虛，是為初見。第二見者，如向後生諸梵之中，或有戲咲放逸懈怠，以戲咲故身體疲極，便失定意。以失意故，命終下生，後修定意憶識往事，便作是言：「彼不戲者，常住彼天，永無遷變，彼是其常。我等戲故，致此無常。是故定知，我及世間亦常無常。」是為二見。第三見者，如向後生諸梵眾中，或著相者，生欲染心，便失定意。以失意故，命終下生，後修定意憶識往事，便作是念：「彼梵眾中，不相著者，常住彼天。我等相著，致此無常，流轉生死。是故定知，我及世間亦常無常。」是為三見。第四見者，或有眾生，以捷疾智分別思量：「我及世間亦常無常，此實餘虛。」是為四見（此二門竟）。

Regarding 'both eternal and non-eternal': as stated in the sūtra, 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who raise such an assertion: Myself and the world are half eternal and half non-eternal.' Falling within four views, their observation does not exceed these. What are the four views? When this world begins to form at the beginning of an aeon, the realms from the Mahābrahmā heaven on down are empty and devoid of sentient beings. A deva in the Ābhāsvara heaven, whose merit and lifespan in the Ābhāsvara heaven are about to expire, is born in the Mahābrahmā heaven of the first dhyāna. Having been born there, that deva gives rise to a mind of attachment to this place and thinks: 'Would that other sentient beings might be born here together with me!' At that time, there are devas in the Ābhāsvara heaven whose merit and lifespan are about to expire, and they are born into this heaven. The one born first then thinks: 'I am the most supreme and honorable in this place, the father of sentient beings. I exist spontaneously, and no one created me. My merit is eternal, and the rest were all made by me. Those created through my transformation are all impermanent.' The Brahmās born later also give rise to this thought. When some of these Brahmās pass away and are born into the human realm, they later cultivate concentrated minds and recollect past events, whereupon they say: 'That Great Brahmā King exists spontaneously without a creator and is entirely eternal; the Brahmās born later were created by another and are entirely impermanent.' Therefore, the world is both eternal and non-eternal. This is real and the rest is false; this is the first view. Regarding the second view: among those Brahmās born later, as mentioned above, some indulge in play and laughter, heedlessness and indolence; because of laughing and playing, their bodies become utterly exhausted, and they lose their concentration. Having lost concentration, their lifespan ends and they are born below; later cultivating concentration, they recollect past events and say: 'Those who did not indulge in play remain permanently in that heaven, forever free of alteration; they are eternal. Because we played, we incurred this impermanence. Therefore it is definitely known that myself and the world are both eternal and non-eternal.' This is the second view. Regarding the third view: among those Brahma hosts born later, as mentioned above, some are attached to forms, give rise to lustful thoughts, and thereby lose their concentration. Having lost concentration, their lifespan ends and they are born below; later cultivating concentration, they recollect past events and think: 'Among those Brahma hosts, those who were not attached to one another remain permanently in that heaven. Because we were attached to one another, we incurred this impermanence and wander through saṃsāra. Therefore it is definitely known that myself and the world are both eternal and non-eternal.' This is the third view. Regarding the fourth view: there are sentient beings who, through swift and agile intellect, discriminate and reflect: 'Myself and the world are both eternal and non-eternal; this is real and the rest is false.' This is the fourth view. (This concludes the second section.)