At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: “Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this: ‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘The purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is extinguishment by not grasping.’ ‘anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you: Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘Is there a path and a practice for extinguishment by not grasping?’ You should answer them like this: ‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘There is a path and a practice for extinguishment by not grasping.’ ‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti.

And what is that path, what is that practice for extinguishment by not grasping? Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāya? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi. This is the path, this is the practice for extinguishment by not grasping. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyāti.

When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.” Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Aññatitthiyapeyyālaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Virāgasaṁyojanaṁ anusayaṁ, Addhānaṁ āsavā khayā; Vijjāvimuttiñāṇañca, Anupādāya aṭṭhamī.