[225] Now at that time the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta had recently died at Pāvā. With his death the Nigaṇṭhas had split, divided into two factions, given to strife, given to quarrels, fallen into dispute, going about wounding one another with the daggers of the mouth: "You will not understand this Dhamma and Discipline (dhammavinaya); how will you understand this Dhamma and Discipline? You are practicing wrongly; I am practicing rightly. My speech is coherent; yours is incoherent. What should have been said first, you said afterward; what should have been said afterward, you said first. What you have long rehearsed has been overturned. Your thesis has been charged; you stand refuted. Set about to free yourself from the charge against your doctrine — or disentangle yourself, if you can!" One would think that nothing but slaughter was going on among the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta. Even the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta's lay disciples, householders clad in white, appeared disenchanted, dispassionate, and recoiling from the Nigaṇṭhas, the followers of Nāṭaputta — as happens with a Dhamma and Discipline that is badly proclaimed, badly expounded, not emancipating, not conducing to peace, proclaimed by one who is not a Fully Awakened One (sammāsambuddha), its shrine broken, without a refuge.
Then the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta has recently died at Pāvā. With his death the Nigaṇṭhas have split, divided into two factions … its shrine broken, without a refuge. So it is, friends, with a Dhamma and Discipline that is badly proclaimed, badly expounded, not emancipating, not conducing to peace, proclaimed by one who is not a Fully Awakened One. But this Dhamma, friends, has been well proclaimed by our Blessed One, well expounded, emancipating, conducing to peace, proclaimed by one who is a Fully Awakened One. Therein all of us together should recite in concert (saṅgāyitabba) and should not dispute, so that this holy life (brahmacariya) may endure and stand for a long time; and that would be for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, the welfare, and the happiness of gods and humans.
"And what, friends, is the Dhamma that has been well proclaimed by our Blessed One, well expounded, emancipating, conducing to peace, proclaimed by one who is a Fully Awakened One, wherein all of us together should recite in concert and should not dispute, so that this holy life may endure and stand for a long time; and that would be for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, the welfare, and the happiness of gods and humans?"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.