[36] Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Bārāṇasī for as long as he wished, set out on a wandering tour toward Uruvelā. Then the Blessed One, turning off from the road, approached a certain forest grove; having approached, he plunged into that forest grove and sat down at the foot of a certain tree.
Now at that time some thirty friends of the Bhaddavaggiya company, together with their wives, were amusing themselves in that forest grove. One of them had no wife; for his sake a courtesan had been brought along. Then that courtesan, while they were heedlessly amusing themselves, took their belongings and fled. Then those friends, doing a service for their friend, searching for that woman and wandering through that forest grove, saw the Blessed One seated at the foot of a certain tree. Having seen him, they approached the Blessed One; having approached, they said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, has the Blessed One perhaps seen a woman?"
"But what, young men, have you to do with a woman?"
"Venerable sir, we are some thirty friends of the Bhaddavaggiya company who, together with our wives, were amusing ourselves here in this forest grove. One of us had no wife; for his sake a courtesan had been brought along. Then, venerable sir, that courtesan, while we were heedlessly amusing ourselves, took our belongings and fled. Therefore, venerable sir, we friends, doing a service for our friend, are wandering through this forest grove searching for that woman."
"What do you think, young men — which is better for you: that you should search for a woman, or that you should search for yourselves?"
"This indeed, venerable sir, is better for us: that we should search for ourselves."
"Then, young men, sit down; I shall teach you the Dhamma."
"So be it, venerable sir," and those friends of the Bhaddavaggiya company, having paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. The Blessed One gave them a progressive discourse (anupubbikathā), that is to say: talk on giving, talk on virtue, talk on the heavens; he made known the danger, the degradation, and the defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit in renunciation (nekkhamma). When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready, malleable, free from the hindrances (nīvaraṇa), uplifted, and confident, then he made known that Dhamma teaching which the Buddhas themselves have exalted: suffering (dukkha), its origin, its cessation, and the path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would properly take the dye, even so, in that very seat, there arose in them the dustless, stainless Dhamma-eye (dhammacakkhu): "Whatever is subject to origination, all that is subject to cessation."
Having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed beyond doubt (vicikicchā), with perplexity gone, 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 (pabbajjā) in the presence of the Blessed One; may we receive full admission (upasampadā)."
"Come, bhikkhus," said the Blessed One. "Well proclaimed is the Dhamma. Live the holy life for the complete making of an end of suffering." That itself was the full admission of those venerable ones.
The story of the Bhaddavaggiya friends is concluded.
The second recitation section.
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English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.