1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, if wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘For what purpose, friends, is the holy life lived under the ascetic Gotama?’—being asked thus, you should answer them thus: ‘It is, friends, for the fading away of lust that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.’

"Then, bhikkhus, if the wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘But, friends, is there a path, is there a way for the fading away of lust?’—being asked thus, you should answer them thus: ‘There is a path, friends, there is a way for the fading away of lust.’

And what, bhikkhus, is that path, what is that way sn.v.28 for the fading away of lust? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, this is the way for the fading away of lust.

"Being asked thus, bhikkhus, you should answer those wanderers of other sects in such a way."

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.