Mahâ-Parinibbâna-Suttanta: The Book of the Great Decease

p. 106 are heads of companies of disciples and students, teachers of students, well known, renowned, founders of schools of doctrine, esteemed as good men by the multitude--to wit, Pûrana Kassapa, Makkhali of the cattle-pen, Agita of the garment of hair, Kakkâyana of the Pakudha tree, Sañgaya the son of the Belatthi slave-girl, and Nigantha of the Nâtha clan--have they all, according to their own assertion, thoroughly understood things? or have they not? or are there some of them who have understood, and some who have not[1]?' 61. 'Enough, Subhadda! Let this matter rest whether they, according to their own assertion, have thoroughly understood things, or whether they have not, or whether some of them have understood and some have not! The truth, Ânanda, will I teach you. Listen well to that, and give ear attentively, and I will speak.' 'Even so, Lord!' said the mendicant Subhadda, in assent, to the Blessed One. 62. And the Blessed One spake: 'In whatsoever doctrine and discipline, Subhadda, the noble eightfold path is not found, neither in it is there found a man of true saintliness of the first or of the second or of the third or of the fourth degree[2]. [1. Buddhaghosa has an exegetical note on abbhaññamsu, but passes over those celebrated Six Teachers in silence. The little that is thus far known of them will be discussed in another place. 2. This refers to the four divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path. See above, chap. II, § 8, where their characters are described. The {footnote p. 107} word translated 'man of true saintliness,' or 'true saint,' is in the text Samano, on which see the note on page 105. I am at a loss how to render the word adequately here.]