Various kinds of views arise in the world due to not knowing form, the arising of form, the cessation of form, and the practice leading to the cessation of form.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Then, the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One, exchanged greetings with him, and after a courteous and friendly exchange, sat down to one side. While seated to one side, Vacchagotta addressed the Blessed One:
“ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti?
“Venerable Gotama, what is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ or ‘The world is finite,’ or ‘The world is infinite,’ or ‘The soul and the body are the same,’ or ‘The soul and the body are different,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata exists,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata does not exist,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata both exists and does not exist,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist’?”
“Rūpe kho, vaccha, aññāṇā, rūpasamudaye aññāṇā, rūpanirodhe aññāṇā, rūpanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇā; evamimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vāti. Ayaṁ kho, vaccha, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti.
[The Blessed One replied]: “Vaccha, it is from not knowing form, not knowing the arising of form, not knowing the cessation of form, not knowing the practice leading to the cessation of form that these various kinds of views arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’”
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Then, the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One, exchanged greetings with him, and after a courteous and friendly exchange, sat down to one side. While seated to one side, Vacchagotta addressed the Blessed One:
“Venerable Gotama, what is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ or ‘The world is finite,’ or ‘The world is infinite,’ or ‘The soul and the body are the same,’ or ‘The soul and the body are different,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata exists,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata does not exist,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata both exists and does not exist,’ or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist’?”
[The Blessed One replied]: “Vaccha, it is from not knowing form, not knowing the arising of form, not knowing the cessation of form, not knowing the practice leading to the cessation of form that these various kinds of views arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’”
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti?
“Rūpe kho, vaccha, aññāṇā, rūpasamudaye aññāṇā, rūpanirodhe aññāṇā, rūpanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇā; evamimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vāti. Ayaṁ kho, vaccha, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti.