[556] Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said this to the Blessed One: "What now, Master Gotama, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby these many and various views arise in the world: 'The world is eternal,' or 'The world is not eternal,' … or 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death'?"
"Vaccha, it is through not knowing (aññāṇa) perception (saññā), not knowing the origin of perception, not knowing the cessation of perception, not knowing the way of practice leading to the cessation of perception, that these many and various views arise in the world: 'The world is eternal,' or 'The world is not eternal,' … or 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.' This, Vaccha, is the cause, this is the condition, whereby these many and various views arise in the world: 'The world is eternal,' or 'The world is not eternal,' … or 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.