[39] Then in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then it occurred to the Venerable Sāriputta: "It is still too early to walk for alms in Sāvatthī. Suppose I were to approach the park of the wanderers of other sects (aññatitthiyā paribbājakā)." Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached the park of the wanderers of other sects; having approached, he exchanged greetings with those wanderers of other sects, and when the courteous and amiable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. Now on that occasion, as those wanderers of other sects were sitting assembled together, this conversation arose among them: "Friends, whoever lives the holy life (brahmacariya), complete and pure, for twelve years is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa."
Then the Venerable Sāriputta neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of those wanderers of other sects. Neither delighting in it nor rejecting it, he rose from his seat and departed, thinking: "I shall come to understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One." Then the Venerable Sāriputta, having walked for alms in Sāvatthī, after the meal, when he had returned from his almsround, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, in the morning I dressed, took my bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: 'It is still too early to walk for alms in Sāvatthī. Suppose I were to approach the park of the wanderers of other sects.' Then, venerable sir, I approached the park of the wanderers of other sects; having approached, I exchanged greetings with those wanderers of other sects, and when the courteous and amiable talk was concluded, I sat down to one side. Now on that occasion, venerable sir, as those wanderers of other sects were sitting assembled together, this conversation arose among them: 'Friends, whoever lives the holy life, complete and pure, for twelve years is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa.' Then, venerable sir, I neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of those wanderers of other sects. Neither delighting in it nor rejecting it, I rose from my seat and departed, thinking: 'I shall come to understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One.' Is it possible, venerable sir, in this Dhamma and Discipline, to designate a bhikkhu a niddasa merely by the counting of years alone?"
"Sāriputta, it is not possible in this Dhamma and Discipline to designate a bhikkhu a niddasa merely by the counting of years alone. There are, Sāriputta, these seven grounds for being a niddasa (niddasavatthūni), which I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge. What seven? Here, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu has a keen desire for undertaking the training, and for the future his love for undertaking the training has been won; he has a keen desire for careful attention to the Dhamma (dhammanisanti), and for the future his love for careful attention to the Dhamma has been won; he has a keen desire for the removal of desires, and for the future his love for the removal of desires has been won; he has a keen desire for seclusion, and for the future his love for seclusion has been won; he has a keen desire for the arousing of energy, and for the future his love for the arousing of energy has been won; he has a keen desire for mindfulness and discretion (satinepakka), and for the future his love for mindfulness and discretion has been won; he has a keen desire for penetration by view (diṭṭhipaṭivedha), and for the future his love for penetration by view has been won. These, Sāriputta, are the seven grounds for being a niddasa, which I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge. Sāriputta, a bhikkhu possessing these seven grounds for being a niddasa, if he lives the holy life, complete and pure, for twelve years, is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa; if he lives the holy life, complete and pure, for twenty-four years, he is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa; if he lives the holy life, complete and pure, for thirty-six years, he is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa; if he lives the holy life, complete and pure, for forty-eight years, he is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is a niddasa."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.