Bhaggava, I understand the origin of the world. I understand this, and what goes beyond it. Yet since I do not misapprehend that understanding, I have realized quenching within myself. Directly knowing this, the Realized One does not come to ruin. There are some ascetics and brahmins who describe the origin of the world in their denomination as created by the God Almighty, by the Divinity. I go up to them and say, ‘Is it really true that this is the venerables’ view?’ And they answer, ‘Yes’. I say to them, ‘But how do you describe in your denomination that the origin of the world came about as created by the God Almighty, by the Divinity?’ But they are stumped by my question, and they even question me in return. So I answer them, ‘There comes a time when, reverends, after a very long period has passed, this cosmos contracts. As the cosmos contracts, sentient beings are mostly headed for the realm of sublime luminosity. There they are mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-radiant, wandering in midair, steadily glorious, and they remain like that for a very long time.

There comes a time when, after a very long period has passed, this cosmos expands. As it expands an empty mansion of divinity appears. Then a certain sentient being—due to the running out of their life-span or merit—passes away from that host of luminous deities and is reborn in that empty mansion of divinity. There they are mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-radiant, wandering in midair, steadily glorious, and they remain like that for a very long time.