1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, if wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘For what purpose, friends, is the holy life lived under the ascetic Gotama?’—being asked thus, you should answer them thus: ‘It is, friends, for the fading away of lust that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.’

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘rāgavirāgatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

"Then, bhikkhus, if the wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘But, friends, is there a path, is there a way for the fading away of lust?’—being asked thus, you should answer them thus: ‘There is a path, friends, there is a way for the fading away of lust.’

Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti.

And what, bhikkhus, is that path, what is that way sn.v.28 for the fading away of lust? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is the path, this is the way for the fading away of lust.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā rāgavirāgāya? Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyāti.

"Being asked thus, bhikkhus, you should answer those wanderers of other sects in such a way."

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.