[7] Then, while the Venerable Sāriputta was alone in seclusion, this reflection arose in his mind: "For which Buddhas, Blessed Ones, did the holy life (brahmacariya) not last long? For which Buddhas, Blessed Ones, did the holy life last long?" Then, in the evening, the Venerable Sāriputta emerged from seclusion and approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Blessed One: "Just now, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, this reflection arose in my mind: 'For which Buddhas, Blessed Ones, did the holy life not last long? For which Buddhas, Blessed Ones, did the holy life last long?'"
"For the Blessed One Vipassī, Sāriputta, for the Blessed One Sikhī, and for the Blessed One Vessabhū, the holy life did not last long. For the Blessed One Kakusandha, Sāriputta, for the Blessed One Konāgamana, and for the Blessed One Kassapa, the holy life lasted long."
"What, venerable sir, was the cause, what was the condition, why for the Blessed One Vipassī, for the Blessed One Sikhī, and for the Blessed One Vessabhū the holy life did not last long?"
"The Blessed One Vipassī, Sāriputta, the Blessed One Sikhī, and the Blessed One Vessabhū were disinclined to expound the Dhamma in detail to their disciples; and of theirs there was but little of sutta, geyya, veyyākaraṇa, gāthā, udāna, itivuttaka, jātaka, abbhutadhamma, and vedalla; no training rule (sikkhāpada) was laid down for the disciples, no Pātimokkha was recited. With the disappearance of those Buddhas, Blessed Ones, and with the disappearance of the disciples awakened after those Buddhas, the last disciples—of various names, of various clans, of various castes, gone forth from various families—caused that holy life quickly to disappear. Just as, Sāriputta, various flowers laid upon a wooden board, not held together by a thread, are scattered, dispersed, and destroyed by the wind—and why is that? Because they are not held together by a thread—even so, Sāriputta, with the disappearance of those Buddhas, Blessed Ones, and with the disappearance of the disciples awakened after those Buddhas, the last disciples—of various names, of various clans, of various castes, gone forth from various families—caused that holy life quickly to disappear. And those Buddhas, Blessed Ones, were disinclined to exhort their disciples by encompassing their minds with their own minds. Formerly, Sāriputta, the Blessed One Vessabhū, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, in a certain frightful jungle thicket, exhorted and instructed a Saṅgha of a thousand bhikkhus, encompassing their minds with his own mind: 'Think thus; do not think thus. Attend thus; do not attend thus. Abandon this; enter upon and dwell in this.' Then, Sāriputta, as those thousand bhikkhus were being thus exhorted and thus instructed by the Blessed One Vessabhū, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, their minds (citta) were liberated from the taints (āsava) through non-clinging. And there, Sāriputta, such was the frightfulness of that frightful jungle thicket that, for the most part, the hair of anyone not free from lust who entered that thicket would stand on end. This, Sāriputta, is the cause, this is the condition, why for the Blessed One Vipassī, for the Blessed One Sikhī, and for the Blessed One Vessabhū the holy life did not last long."
"But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, why for the Blessed One Kakusandha, for the Blessed One Konāgamana, and for the Blessed One Kassapa the holy life lasted long?"
"The Blessed One Kakusandha, Sāriputta, the Blessed One Konāgamana, and the Blessed One Kassapa were untiring in teaching the Dhamma in detail to their disciples; and of theirs there was much of sutta, geyya, veyyākaraṇa, gāthā, udāna, itivuttaka, jātaka, abbhutadhamma, and vedalla; the training rule was laid down for the disciples, the Pātimokkha was recited. With the disappearance of those Buddhas, Blessed Ones, and with the disappearance of the disciples awakened after those Buddhas, the last disciples—of various names, of various clans, of various castes, gone forth from various families—established that holy life for a long time, for a long period. Just as, Sāriputta, various flowers laid upon a wooden board, well held together by a thread, are not scattered, not dispersed, not destroyed by the wind—and why is that? Because they are well held together by a thread—even so, Sāriputta, with the disappearance of those Buddhas, Blessed Ones, and with the disappearance of the disciples awakened after those Buddhas, the last disciples—of various names, of various clans, of various castes, gone forth from various families—established that holy life for a long time, for a long period. This, Sāriputta, is the cause, this is the condition, why for the Blessed One Kakusandha, for the Blessed One Konāgamana, and for the Blessed One Kassapa the holy life lasted long."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.