[140] Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed, took their bowls and robes, and entered Sāvatthī for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from the alms round after their meal, they approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, a number of ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers (paribbājakā) of various sects (titthiya) are residing in Sāvatthī — holding various views, of various persuasions, of various preferences, relying upon various views for their support. There are some ascetics and brahmins who assert thus, who hold this view: 'The world is eternal;¹ only this is true, anything else is wrong.' … They have taken to arguing and quarreling; fallen into dispute, they dwell stabbing one another with verbal daggers: 'The Dhamma is like this, the Dhamma is not like this! The Dhamma is not like this, the Dhamma is like this!'"
"Bhikkhus, the wanderers of other sects are blind, without eyes. They do not know what is beneficial (attha), they do not know what is harmful (anattha); they do not know what is Dhamma, they do not know what is not Dhamma. Not knowing what is beneficial, not knowing what is harmful, not knowing what is Dhamma, not knowing what is not Dhamma, they have taken to arguing and quarreling; fallen into dispute, they dwell stabbing one another with verbal daggers: 'The Dhamma is like this, the Dhamma is not like this! The Dhamma is not like this, the Dhamma is like this!'"
Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance (udāna):
"To these, it seems, they cling —
some ascetics and brahmins;
and midway they sink down,
without ever reaching the firm ground."
The fifth [sutta].
¹ [Siam edition note:] The reading "sassato attā ca loko" ("the self and the world are eternal") is seen at the beginning of this sutta.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.