[332] The Blessed One said this: "Suppose, brahmin, an elephant tracker (nāgavanika) were to enter an elephant forest. There in the elephant forest he might see a great elephant's footprint, long in length and broad in breadth. An elephant tracker who is skilled does not yet come to the conclusion, 'Indeed, sirs, this is a great bull elephant.' Why is that? Because, brahmin, in an elephant forest there are she-elephants called vāmanikā (dwarf she-elephants) with large footprints; this footprint might be one of theirs. He follows the track, and as he follows it he sees in the elephant forest a great elephant's footprint, long in length and broad in breadth, and rubbing-marks high up. An elephant tracker who is skilled does not yet come to the conclusion, 'Indeed, sirs, this is a great bull elephant.' Why is that? Because, brahmin, in an elephant forest there are tall she-elephants called uccā kaḷārikā with large footprints; this footprint might be one of theirs. He follows the track, and as he follows it he sees in the elephant forest a great elephant's footprint, long in length and broad in breadth, and rubbing-marks high up, and gashes made by tusks high up. An elephant tracker who is skilled does not yet come to the conclusion, 'Indeed, sirs, this is a great bull elephant.' Why is that? Because, brahmin, in an elephant forest there are tall she-elephants called uccā kaṇerukā with large footprints; this footprint might be one of theirs. He follows the track, and as he follows it he sees in the elephant forest a great elephant's footprint, long in length and broad in breadth, and rubbing-marks high up, and gashes made by tusks high up, and broken branches high up; and he sees that bull elephant itself, gone to the root of a tree or gone into the open, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. He comes to the conclusion: 'This indeed is that great bull elephant.'
"Even so, brahmin, here a Tathāgata arises in the world—an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the world, unsurpassed charioteer of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, enlightened, blessed. Having realized it for himself with direct knowledge, he makes known this world with its gods, its Māras, its Brahmās, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans. He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; he proclaims the holy life (brahmacariya) utterly complete and pure. A householder, or a householder's son, or one born afterwards in some family or other, hears that Dhamma. Having heard that Dhamma, he acquires faith (saddhā) in the Tathāgata. Endowed with that acquisition of faith, he reflects thus: 'Household life is confined, a path of dust; the going forth is the open air. It is not easy for one dwelling in a house to live the holy life utterly complete, utterly pure, polished like a conch shell. Suppose I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness.' At a later time, having abandoned a small mass of wealth or having abandoned a great mass of wealth, having abandoned a small circle of relatives or having abandoned a great circle of relatives, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.