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 the fading away of greed.’ ‘rāgavirāgatthaṁ 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 the fading away of greed?’ You should answer them like this: ‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘There is a path and a practice for the fading away of greed.’ ‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti.

And what is that path, what is that practice for the fading away of greed? Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā rāgavirāgāya? 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 the fading away of greed. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyāti.

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

Paṭhamaṁ.