[64] Then, Vāseṭṭha, it occurred to some of those same beings: "Bad things, sirs, have appeared among beings, in that taking what is not given will be found, blame will be found, false speech will be found, the taking up of rods will be found, and banishment will be found. Why should we not put away these bad, unskillful things?" And they put away those bad, unskillful things. "They put away (vāhenti) bad, unskillful things," Vāseṭṭha — thus it was that 'brāhmaṇas' arose as the first term.
They made leaf-huts in a wilderness region and meditated in those leaf-huts. Free of embers, free of smoke, with pestles laid aside, they went down in the evening for the evening meal and in the morning for the morning meal to villages, towns, and royal capitals, seeking food. Having obtained food, they went back once more to meditate in the leaf-huts in the wilderness region. Seeing this, people said: "These beings, sirs, having made leaf-huts in a wilderness region, meditate in those leaf-huts; free of embers, free of smoke, with pestles laid aside, they go down in the evening for the evening meal and in the morning for the morning meal to villages, towns, and royal capitals, seeking food. Having obtained food, they go back once more to meditate in the leaf-huts in the wilderness region." "They meditate (jhāyanti)," Vāseṭṭha — thus it was that 'jhāyikas' (meditators) arose as the second term.
But some among those very beings, Vāseṭṭha, being unable to attain that meditation (jhāna) in the leaf-huts in the wilderness region, went down to the neighborhood of a village or the neighborhood of a town, and went about compiling texts. Seeing this, people said: "These beings, sirs, being unable to attain that meditation in the leaf-huts in the wilderness region, have gone down to the neighborhood of a village or the neighborhood of a town, and go about compiling texts. Now these do not meditate; now these do not meditate (na dāni ime jhāyanti)," Vāseṭṭha — thus it was that 'ajjhāyikas' (reciters, non-meditators) arose as the third term.
Now what at that time, Vāseṭṭha, was deemed inferior is nowadays deemed the best. Thus indeed, Vāseṭṭha, was the origination of this circle of brahmins by way of the ancient, primordial term — for those very beings, not others; for those like them, not unlike; by Dhamma alone, not against Dhamma. For Dhamma, Vāseṭṭha, is the best thing among this people, both in this very life and in the life to come.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.