It’s possible that wanderers who follow other paths might say, ‘But what has been declared by the ascetic Gotama?’ You should say to them, ‘What has been declared by the Buddha is this: “This is suffering”—“This is the origin of suffering”—“This is the cessation of suffering”—“This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.”’

The wanderers might say, ‘But why has this been declared by the ascetic Gotama?’ You should say to them, ‘Because it’s beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why it has been declared by the Buddha.’