[293] Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambī, in Ghosita's Park (Ghositārāma). Now at that time the wanderer Sandaka was residing in the Pilakkha Cave together with a large assembly of wanderers, some five hundred wanderers. Then, in the evening, the venerable Ānanda, having emerged from seclusion (paṭisallāna), addressed the bhikkhus: "Come, friends, let us go to the Devakaṭa Pool to see the cave." "Yes, friend," those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Ānanda. Then the venerable Ānanda together with many bhikkhus went to the Devakaṭa Pool.
Now at that time the wanderer Sandaka was sitting with a large assembly of wanderers, all shouting in an uproar, with loud voices and great noise, engaged in various kinds of pointless talk (tiracchānakathā), that is: talk of kings, talk of thieves, talk of great ministers, talk of armies, talk of dangers, talk of battles, talk of food, talk of drink, talk of beds, talk of garlands, talk of scents, talk of relatives, talk of vehicles, talk of villages, talk of towns, talk of cities, talk of countries, talk of women, talk of heroes, talk of streets, talk of wells, talk of water-pot maidens, talk of the departed, miscellaneous talk, speculation about the world, speculation about the sea, and talk of existence thus and otherwise — such talk as this.
The wanderer Sandaka saw the venerable Ānanda coming while still far off; having seen him, he quieted his own assembly: "Sirs, be quiet; sirs, make no noise. Here comes a disciple of the ascetic Gotama, the ascetic Ānanda. Of however many disciples of the ascetic Gotama are residing at Kosambī, this ascetic Ānanda is one of them. Those venerable ones love quiet, are disciplined in quiet, and speak in praise of quiet. Perhaps, finding the assembly quiet, he may see fit to approach." Then those wanderers fell silent.
Then the venerable Ānanda approached the wanderer Sandaka. Then the wanderer Sandaka said this to the venerable Ānanda: "Let the worthy Ānanda come! Welcome to the worthy Ānanda! It is long since the worthy Ānanda found occasion to come here. Let the worthy Ānanda be seated; this seat is prepared." The venerable Ānanda sat down on the prepared seat, and the wanderer Sandaka too, taking a certain low seat, sat down to one side.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.