Atha kho bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena uruvelā tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma yena aññataro vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā taṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisīdi. Tena kho pana samayena tiṁsamattā bhaddavaggiyā sahāyakā sapajāpatikā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe paricārenti. Ekassa pajāpati nāhosi; tassa atthāya vesī ānītā ahosi. Atha kho sā vesī tesu pamattesu paricārentesu bhaṇḍaṁ ādāya palāyittha.
Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Vārāṇasī as long as he wished, set out on tour toward Uruvelā. Then the Blessed One left the road, entered a certain forest grove, and sat at the foot of a certain tree. At that time about thirty friends of the good group, with their wives, were amusing themselves in that forest grove. One of them had no wife, and a courtesan had been brought for him. Then, while they were heedless and amusing themselves, that courtesan took the goods and ran away.
Atha kho te sahāyakā sahāyakassa veyyāvaccaṁ karontā, taṁ itthiṁ gavesantā, taṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ āhiṇḍantā addasaṁsu bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisinnaṁ. Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ— “api, bhante, bhagavā ekaṁ itthiṁ passeyyā”ti? “Kiṁ pana vo, kumārā, itthiyā”ti? “Idha mayaṁ, bhante, tiṁsamattā bhaddavaggiyā sahāyakā sapajāpatikā imasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe paricārimhā. Ekassa pajāpati nāhosi; tassa atthāya vesī ānītā ahosi. Atha kho sā, bhante, vesī amhesu pamattesu paricārentesu bhaṇḍaṁ ādāya palāyittha. Te mayaṁ, bhante, sahāyakā sahāyakassa veyyāvaccaṁ karontā, taṁ itthiṁ gavesantā, imaṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ āhiṇḍāmā”ti.
Then those friends, doing their friend a service and searching for that woman, were wandering about that forest grove and saw the Blessed One sitting at the foot of a certain tree. Seeing him, they approached the Blessed One and said: “Venerable sir, has the Blessed One seen a woman?” “Young men, what have you to do with a woman?” “Here, venerable sir, we are about thirty friends of the good group, with our wives, and we were amusing ourselves in this forest grove. One of us had no wife, and a courtesan had been brought for him. Then, venerable sir, while we were heedless and amusing ourselves, that courtesan took the goods and ran away. We friends, venerable sir, doing our friend a service and searching for that woman, are wandering about this forest grove.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha vo, kumārā, katamaṁ nu kho tumhākaṁ varaṁ— yaṁ vā tumhe itthiṁ gaveseyyātha, yaṁ vā attānaṁ gaveseyyāthā”ti? “Etadeva, bhante, amhākaṁ varaṁ yaṁ mayaṁ attānaṁ gaveseyyāmā”ti. “Tena hi vo, kumārā, nisīdatha, dhammaṁ vo desessāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhaddavaggiyā sahāyakā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
“What do you think, young men? Which is better for you: that you search for the woman, or that you search for yourselves?” “This is better for us, venerable sir: that we search for ourselves.” “Then, young men, sit down. I will teach you the Dhamma.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those friends of the good group replied. They paid homage to the Blessed One and sat to one side.
Tesaṁ bhagavā anupubbiṁ kathaṁ kathesi, seyyathidaṁ— dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi. Yadā te bhagavā aññāsi kallacitte muducitte vinīvaraṇacitte udaggacitte pasannacitte, atha yā buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā dhammadesanā, taṁ pakāsesi dukkhaṁ samudayaṁ nirodhaṁ maggaṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ sammadeva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya; evameva tesaṁ tasmiṁyeva āsane virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi— “yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti.
The Blessed One gradually gave them a discourse, first on giving, then on virtue, and then on the heavens; he explained the dangers, degradation, and defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready, receptive, free of hindrances, uplifted, and confident, he then expounded the distinctive teaching of the Buddhas: suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path. Just as a clean cloth with no dark spots would properly absorb dye, so too, in that very seat, the stainless, immaculate Dhamma eye arose in them: “Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation.”
Te diṭṭhadhammā pattadhammā viditadhammā pariyogāḷhadhammā tiṇṇavicikicchā vigatakathaṅkathā vesārajjappattā aparappaccayā satthusāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ— “labheyyāma mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyāma upasampadan”ti. “Etha bhikkhavo”ti bhagavā avoca— “svākkhāto dhammo, caratha brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā”ti. Sāva tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ upasampadā ahosi.
They, having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, deeply penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed beyond doubt, with no more uncertainty, confident and self-assured, and become independent of others in the Teacher’s instruction, said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, may we receive the going forth in the Blessed One’s presence? May we receive full ordination?” The Blessed One said: “Come, bhikkhus. The Dhamma is well proclaimed. Live the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering.” That was the full ordination of those venerable ones.