(Supplication)[i] [ii]Thus have I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the Vrs District, at the is Deer Park[iii]. Then the Exalted One said to the bhikus[iv]. There are two modes of behaviour (vtti) which a person in quest of the [highest] truth[v] should avoid. Which are the two? Desiring, craving for objects of sensual pleasure which by its very nature (dharma) is low, vulgar and unprofitable. On the other hand, all [sorts of] mortification (pana)[vi], many acts of harming (vihisana) and endless [tormenting] thoughts. These are the two modes of behaviour which a person in quest of the [highest] truth should avoid. Having given up these two modes of behaviour, on my own I gained the highest truth and became fully enlightened. Vision arose, superknowledge (abhij) arose, my mind became [truly] calm. I obtained all the supernormal powers (ddhi) and realised the fruition of recluseship Nirva. Now what is the supreme path leading to Full Enlightenment, making for vision, for superknowledge, for ones mind to become [truly] calm, for obtaining all supernormal powers and for realising the fruition of recluseship Nirva? It is this very noble eightfold path, viz. extraordinary (adhika) views, extraordinary prevention (pratikra), extraordinary speech, extraordinary bodily action, extraordinary livelihood, extraordinary skill in means (upya-kaualya), extraordinary mindfulness, extraordinary concentration[vii]. This is what is called the supreme path. At this time I have become fully enlightened, vision has arisen, superknowledge has arisen, my mind has become [truly] calm, I have obtained all supernormal powers and realised the fruition of recluseship Nirvana. Therefore, O bhikus, one should train to give up the above[-mentioned] two modes of behaviour and practice in accordance with the supreme path. After listening to the Buddhas words, the bhikus were pleased and respectfully applied themselves to practice.

[i] The first stra of Part 19, to which this subtitle refers, was translated into French by A.Bareau in his article Les debuts de la predication du Buddha selon lEkoitara-gama; see Bulletin de Ecole francais dExtreme

Orient LXXVII (Paris 1988), p.78f; Bareau also refers to this stra in his paper Le Buddha et Uruvilva
in Indianisme et Bouddhisme, Melanges offerts a Mgr. Etienne Lamotte, Louvain-la-Neuve 1980, p.5ff.

[ii] CBETA, T02, no. 125, p. 593, b24-c12; Hayashi, p.162ff. This translation originally published as Ekottaragama XXI, Buddhist Studies Review 14.1, 1997, p 48-50. Translated from the Chinese version by Thch Huyn-Vi and Bhikkhu Psdika in collaboration with Sara Boin-Webb. Cf. S V, p.420ff. (Dhamma-cakkappavattana-Vagga); Hayashi, ibid., additionally mentions as parallel MI. 160ff. (Ariyapariyesanasutta) the relevant portion of which, however, cannot be regarded as either a textual or thematic parallel to the present E passage. [iii] The Chinese has what corresponds with i-mgadva, not with ipatana Mgadva. [iv] Cf. S V, p.421: pacavaggiye bhikkhu [v] Lit. a student of the Way () for pabbajita; for anta (extremes) the chinese has (action, also = vtti). [vi] It is noteworthy that E here does not have anything corresponding to self mortification ( tmaklamatha = ###) ) [vii] Cf. BSR 11, 2, p.15, where four versions of the rygikamrga, all differing slightly from each other, are referred to. A remarkable innovation with the wording in this fifth version is the change from right (samyac = #) to extraordinary (adhika = ).

Ekottara gama 19.2