[245] Setting at Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, to whatever extent there are beings — whether footless or two-footed or four-footed or many-footed, whether having form (rūpa) or formless, whether percipient or non-percipient or neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient — the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is declared the foremost among them. In just the same way, bhikkhus, whatever wholesome dhammas (kusalā dhammā) there are, all of them are rooted in diligence (appamāda) and converge upon diligence; diligence is declared the foremost among those dhammas. Bhikkhus, of a bhikkhu who is diligent this may be expected: that he will develop the Noble Eightfold Path (ariya aṭṭhaṅgika magga), that he will cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.