"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 abandoning of the fetters that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

‘It is for the uprooting of the underlying tendencies that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

‘It is for the full understanding of the course[n.31] Addhānapariññatthaṁ. Spk: When one has reached Nibbāna, the course of saṁsara is fully understood. Therefore Nibbāna is called the full understanding of the course. that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

‘It is for the destruction of the taints that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

‘It is for the realization of the fruit of true knowledge and liberation that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

‘It is for the sake of knowledge and vision that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.

sn.v.29 ‘It is for the sake of final Nibbāna without clinging that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.’

"Then, bhikkhus, if the wanderers of other sects ask you: ‘But, friends, is there a path, is there a way for attaining all these things, ending with final Nibbāna without clinging?’—

being asked thus, you should answer them thus:
‘There is a path, friends, there is a way
for the abandoning of the fetters
… for the uprooting of the underlying tendencies
… for the full understanding of the course
… for the destruction of the taints
… for the realization of the fruit of true knowledge and liberation
… for the sake of knowledge and vision
… for attaining final Nibbāna without clinging.’

"And what, bhikkhus, is that path, what is that way for attaining all these things, ending with final Nibbāna without clinging?

It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

This is the path, this is the way for attaining all these things, ending with final Nibbāna without clinging.

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

42. “Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṃ puccheyyuṃ – ‘kimatthiyaṃ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti, evaṃ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ evaṃ byākareyyātha –

‘saṃyojanappahānatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…

43. ‘anusayasamugghātanatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…

44. ‘addhānapariññatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…

45. ‘āsavānaṃ khayatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…

46. ‘vijjāvimuttiphalasacchikiriyatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…

47. ‘ñāṇadassanatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti…pe…. Sattamaṃ.

48. Sāvatthinidānaṃ. “Sace [29] vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṃ puccheyyuṃ – ‘kimatthiyaṃ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti,

evaṃ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ evaṃ byākareyyātha –

‘anupādāparinibbānatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’ti.

Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṃ puccheyyuṃ – ‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti,

evaṃ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ evaṃ byākareyyātha – ‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāya?

Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ – sammādiṭṭhi…pe… sammāsamādhi.

Ayaṃ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṃ paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyāti.

Evaṃ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṃ aññatitthiyānaṃ paribbājakānaṃ evaṃ byākareyyāthā”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṃ.