[296] Then, when two or three days had passed, Citta Hatthisāriputta and the wanderer Poṭṭhapāda approached the Blessed One. Having approached, Citta Hatthisāriputta paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side. But the wanderer Poṭṭhapāda exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the courteous talk of greeting and remembrance was concluded, he sat down at one side. Sitting at one side, the wanderer Poṭṭhapāda said this to the Blessed One:
"Venerable sir, on that occasion, not long after the Blessed One had departed, those wanderers assailed me on all sides with a goading barrage of words: 'Just so, indeed, is this worthy Poṭṭhapāda: whatever the ascetic Gotama says, he applauds every word of it — "So it is, Blessed One! So it is, Sublime One (Sugata)!" But we do not understand the ascetic Gotama to have taught any doctrine that is categorical (ekaṃsika) at all — whether "the world is eternal," or "the world is not eternal," … or "a Tathāgata after death neither exists nor does not exist."'
"When they had spoken thus, venerable sir, I said this to those wanderers: 'Friends, I too do not understand the ascetic Gotama to have taught any doctrine that is categorical at all — whether "the world is eternal," … or "a Tathāgata after death neither exists nor does not exist." Nevertheless, the ascetic Gotama proclaims a practice that is real, true, and accurate — the stability of the Dhamma (dhammaṭṭhitatā), the fixed course of the Dhamma (dhammaniyāmatā). And when he proclaims a practice that is real, true, and accurate — the stability of the Dhamma, the fixed course of the Dhamma — how indeed could a wise person such as I not applaud what has been well spoken by the ascetic Gotama as well spoken?'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.