Viyahapannatti 1.6.72-76

At that time and in that period, there was a disciple of the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, a homeless ascetic named Roha, naturally gentle, naturally tranquil, with anger, pride, deceit, and greed naturally attenuated, endowed with mildness and humility, reserved, well-disciplined, who, not far and not too close to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, with knees raised and head lowered, entered into the chamber of meditation, cultivating himself through self-restraint and austerity, was dwelling.
Then that homeless ascetic Roha, whose faith had arisen, up to: paying homage, spoke thus:
"Venerable Sir, was the cosmos first and the non-cosmos later, or was the non-cosmos first and the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the cosmos and the non-cosmos—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were living beings first and non-living beings later, or were non-living beings first and living beings later?"
"Roha, living beings and non-living beings—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were those capable of liberation first and those incapable of liberation later, or were those incapable of liberation first and those capable of liberation later?"
"Roha, those capable of liberation and those incapable of liberation—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was liberation first and non-liberation later, or was non-liberation first and liberation later?"
"Roha, liberation and non-liberation—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, were liberated souls first and unliberated souls later, or were unliberated souls first and liberated souls later?"
"Roha, liberated souls and unliberated souls—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the egg first and the hen later, or was the hen first and the egg later?"
"Roha, whence is that egg?"
"Lord, from the hen."
"And whence is that hen?"
"Venerable Sir, from the egg."
"Just so, Roha! That egg and that hen—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the end of the cosmos first and the end of the non-cosmos later, or was the end of the non-cosmos first and the end of the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the end of the cosmos and the end of the non-cosmos—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
"Venerable Sir, was the end of the cosmos first and the seventh space-interval later, or was the seventh space-interval first and the end of the cosmos later?"
"Roha, the end of the cosmos and the seventh space-interval—both are prior, both are later; these two are eternal states. This [matter] has no sequence, Roha."
In this way [concerning] the end of the cosmos and the seventh thin vapor; likewise dense vapor, dense water, and the seventh earth. In this way, the end of the cosmos is to be combined individually with these items, namely:

Space-interval, vapor, dense water, earth, islands and oceans, realms,
inhabitants of hell and other existences, astikāyas, samayas, karmas, and leśyās;

View, perception, and knowledge; instincts, bodies, activities, and application;
substances, space-points, modes, and time: [with each of these] is the end of the cosmos first?

“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and past time later? Or is past time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and past time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and future time later? Or is future time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and future time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“Venerable Sir! Is the end of the world first and all time later? Or is all time first and the end of the world later?”
“Rohā! Both the end of the world and all time were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!
Just as all these categories have been combined with the end of the world, so too all are to be combined with the non-world boundary.
“Venerable Sir! Is the seventh inter-spatial space first and the seventh rarefied wind later? Or is the seventh rarefied wind first and the seventh inter-spatial space later?”
“Rohā! Both the seventh inter-spatial space and the seventh rarefied wind were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
In this way, the seventh inter-spatial space is to be combined with all [the categories] up to all time.
“Venerable Sir! Is the seventh rarefied wind first and the seventh dense wind later? Or is the seventh dense wind first and the seventh rarefied wind later?”
“Rohā! Both the seventh rarefied wind and the seventh dense wind were there before, and both were there later—these two are eternal states; there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
In the very same manner, it is to be carried out up to all time.
Thus combining each upper one [in turn], discarding whichever is lower, it should be carried out up to: past and future time, then all time—up to: “there is no temporal sequence between them, Rohā!”
“So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!”—and so on, until he continues to dwell.

Saying “Venerable Sir!”, the venerable Gautama questioned the ascetic, the Lord Mahāvīra, up to: and spoke thus:
“In how many ways, Venerable Sir, has the stability of the world been expounded?”
“Gautama! The stability of the world has been expounded in eight ways, that is to say: 1. Wind rests on space. 2. The ocean rests on wind. 3. The earth rests on the ocean. 4. Mobile and immobile beings rest on the earth. 5. Non-living entities rest on living beings. 6. Living beings rest on karma. 7. Non-living entities are contained by living beings. 8. Living beings are contained by karma.”
“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said thus: ‘The stability of the world is of eight kinds’, up to: ‘living beings are contained by karma’?”
“Gautama! Just as some man might inflate a leather bag, and having inflated the leather bag, ties the upper opening; having tied it, he ties a knot in the middle; having tied it, he unties the upper knot; having untied it, he turns the upper section [inside out]; having turned it, he fills the upper section with water; having filled it, he ties the upper opening; and having tied it, he unties the middle knot. Would not that water, Gautama, remain on the upper surface of that air?”
“Yes, it would remain.”
“For that reason, Gautama, it is said: ‘The stability of the world is of eight kinds’, up to: ‘living beings are contained by karma’.
Or just as some man might inflate a leather bag, and having inflated the leather bag, ties it to his waist; having tied it, he enters water that is fathomless, impassable, and deeper than a man's height. Would not that man, Gautama, remain on the upper surface of that water?”
“Yes, he would remain.”
“In this way also, the stability of the world is of eight kinds, up to: living beings are contained by karma.”