[30] Now the four householder friends of the Venerable Yasa — Vimala, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji, and Gavampati, sons of the foremost merchant families and those next in rank in Bārāṇasī — heard: "Yasa the clansman, it is said, having shaved off his hair and beard and put on the ochre robes, has gone forth from the household life into homelessness." Having heard this, it occurred to them: "Surely that Dhamma and Discipline cannot be inferior; surely that going forth cannot be inferior, wherein Yasa the clansman, having shaved off his hair and beard and put on the ochre robes, has gone forth from the household life into homelessness." Then they approached the Venerable Yasa; having approached, they paid homage to the Venerable Yasa and stood to one side. Then the Venerable Yasa, taking those four householder friends, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Yasa said this: "Venerable sir, these four householder friends of mine, sons of the foremost merchant families and those next in rank in Bārāṇasī — Vimala, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji, and Gavampati — may the Blessed One exhort and instruct them."
The Blessed One gave them a progressive talk (anupubbikathā), that is to say: he expounded a talk on giving, a talk on virtue, a talk on the heavens; the danger, the degradation, and the defilement of sensual pleasures; and the benefit of renunciation (nekkhamma). When the Blessed One knew that their minds (citta) were ready, malleable, free from the hindrances (nīvaraṇa), uplifted, and confident, he then expounded the Dhamma teaching exalted by the Buddhas themselves: suffering (dukkha), origin, cessation, path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would properly take the dye, even so, in them, in that very seat, there arose the dust-free, stainless eye of the Dhamma (dhammacakkhu): "Whatever is subject to origination, all that is subject to cessation." Having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, and fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed beyond doubt (vicikicchā), freed from uncertainty, having attained self-confidence, independent of others in the Teacher's dispensation, they said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, may we receive the going forth in the Blessed One's presence; may we receive the higher ordination (upasampadā)." "Come, bhikkhus," said the Blessed One; "the Dhamma is well proclaimed. Live the holy life for the complete making of an end of suffering." That very utterance was the higher ordination of those venerable ones.
Then the Blessed One exhorted and instructed those bhikkhus with a talk on the Dhamma. As they were being exhorted and instructed by the Blessed One with a talk on the Dhamma, their minds were liberated from the taints (āsava) through non-clinging.
At that time there were eleven arahants in the world.
The Going Forth of the Four Householder Friends is finished.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.