1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another path were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of living the spiritual life with the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this: ‘The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is the fading away of greed.’

If wanderers who follow other paths were to ask you: ‘Is there a path and a practice for the fading away of greed?’ You should answer them like this: ‘There is a path and a practice for the fading away of greed.’

And what is that path, what is that practice for the fading away of greed? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, this is the practice for the fading away of greed.

When questioned by wanderers who follow other paths, that’s how you should answer them.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

"Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘rāgavirāgatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā rāgavirāgāya? Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyāti.

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.