The Theories
The Round of the Past
Theories About Origination Without Cause
"There are recluses and Brahmans, monks, who, upon two grounds, theorize that the soul and the world originate without cause. What are the means and references that these honorable recluses and Brahmans use?
Monks, there are gods who exist in an unconscious state. At the moment a thought arises in them, they fall from that state of unconsciousness. One of those beings, upon falling from their previous condition, may reappear in this world. He might then leave the household life and enter become homeless. Living as a recluse, through ardor, endeavor, application, persistence and reflection, he attains such a degree of mental concentration that he remembers how that idea arose in him. He does not, however, remember anything before that.
He thinks: 'The soul and the world originate without cause. Why is that? That is because I did not exist, and now I exist. I spontaneously arose after being in a state of non-existence.'
This, monks, is the first case on which some recluses and Brahmans theorize that the soul and the world originate without cause.
There are other recluses or Brahmans, monks, who speculate using logic and reason. They think: 'The soul and the world originate without cause.'
This, monks, is the second case.
These, monks, are those recluses and Brahmans who, upon two grounds, theorize that the soul and the world originate without cause. Recluses and Brahmans who maintain this view do so only within the boundaries of these two cases.
Monks, the Tathāgata understands how these misguided theories were formulated. These are the Dhammas that an outsider, when speaking well of the Tathāgata, might speak.
These, monks, are those recluses and Brahmans who, upon eighteen grounds, theorize about the past. Recluses and Brahmans who theorize about the past do so only within the boundaries of these eighteen cases.
Monks, the Tathāgata understands how these misguided theories were formulated. These are the Dhammas that an outsider, when speaking well of the Tathāgata, might speak."