The Buddha then gave them a progressive talk—on generosity, morality, and heaven; on the downside, degradation, and defilement of worldly pleasures; and he revealed the benefits of renunciation. When the Buddha knew that their minds were ready, supple, without hindrances, joyful, and confident, he revealed the teaching unique to the Buddhas: suffering, its origin, its end, and the path. And just as a clean and stainless cloth absorbs dye properly, so too, while they were sitting right there, they experienced the stainless vision of the Truth: “Anything that has a beginning has an end.”

They had seen the Truth, had reached, understood, and penetrated it. They had gone beyond doubt and uncertainty, had attained to confidence, and had become independent of others in the Teacher’s instruction. And they said to the Buddha, “Sir, we wish to receive the going forth in your presence. We wish to receive the full ordination.” The Buddha said, “Come, monks. The Teaching is well-proclaimed. Practice the spiritual life to make a complete end of suffering.” That was the full ordination of those venerables. The account of the fine group of friends is finished. The second section for recitation is finished.

12. The account of the wonders at Uruvelā The Buddha continued his wandering and eventually arrived at Uruvelā. At that time there were three dreadlocked ascetics living there: Uruvelā Kassapa, Nadī Kassapa, and Gayā Kassapa. Uruvelā Kassapa was the leader and chief of five hundred dreadlocked ascetics, Nadī Kassapa of three hundred, and Gayā Kassapa of two hundred.

The Buddha went to the hermitage of Uruvelā Kassapa and said to him, “If it’s not inconvenient for you, Kassapa, may I stay for one night in your fire hut?” “It’s not inconvenient for me, Great Ascetic, but there’s a fierce and highly venomous dragon king with supernormal powers there. I don’t want it to harm you.”