Excerpt from:

- Numbered Discourses 10.93

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“Sirs, it’s not hard for me to explain what my views are. But please, let the venerables explain their own convictions first. Afterwards it won’t be hard for me to explain my views.”

When he said this, one of the wanderers said to him, “The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.”

Another wanderer said, “The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.”

Another wanderer said, “The cosmos is finite …” … “The cosmos is infinite …” … “The soul and the body are the same thing …” … “The soul and the body are different things …” … “A realized one still exists after death …” … “A realized one no longer exists after death …” … “A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …” … “A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.”

When this was said, Anāthapiṇḍika said this, “Sirs, regarding the venerable who said this: ‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.’ This view of his has either arisen from his own irrational application of mind, or is conditioned by what someone else says. But that view is created, conditioned, chosen, dependently originated. Anything that is created, conditioned, chosen, and dependently originated is impermanent. And what’s impermanent is suffering. What he clings to and holds to is just suffering.

Regarding the venerable who said this: ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.’ This view of his has either arisen from his own irrational application of mind, or is conditioned by what someone else says. But that view is created, conditioned, chosen, dependently originated. Anything that is created, conditioned, chosen, and dependently originated is impermanent. And what’s impermanent is suffering. What he clings to and holds to is just suffering.

Regarding the venerable who said this: ‘The cosmos is finite …’ … ‘The cosmos is infinite …’ … ‘The soul and the body are the same thing …’ … ‘The soul and the body are different things …’ … ‘A realized one still exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly. That’s my view, householder.’ This view of his has either arisen from his own irrational application of mind, or is conditioned by what someone else says. But that view is created, conditioned, chosen, dependently originated. Anything that is created, conditioned, chosen, and dependently originated is impermanent. And what’s impermanent is suffering. What he clings to and holds to is just suffering.”

[...]

When this was said, those wanderers sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say. Seeing this, Anāthapiṇḍika got up from his seat. He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed.

“Good, good, householder! That’s how you should legitimately and completely refute those foolish men from time to time.”

Then, not long after Anāthapiṇḍika had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, even a mendicant who has ordained for a hundred years in this teaching and training would legitimately and completely refute those wanderers of other religions just as the householder Anāthapiṇḍika did.”

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Replace the ontological claims of the wanderers with your own views and realize the foolishness of your situation.