(Mv.I.10.1) [31] Ven. Yasa’s fifty householder friends from the countryside — sons of prominent and moderately prominent families — heard, “Yasa, they say, has shaved off his hair and beard, clothed himself in the ochre robes, and gone forth from the home life into homelessness.”

Having heard that, the thought occurred to them, “It must not be lowly, this Dhamma and Discipline, nor lowly this Going-forth, in which Yasa — having shaved off his hair and beard and clothed himself in ochre robes — went forth from home into homelessness.”

(Mv.I.10.2) They went to Ven. Yasa and, on arrival, bowed down to him and stood to one side.

Then Ven. Yasa, taking his fifty householder friends, went to the Blessed One. On arrival, he bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Yasa said to the Blessed One, “Lord, these are my fifty householder friends from the countryside — sons of prominent and moderately prominent families.

“May the Blessed One teach and admonish them.”

(Mv.I.10.3) The Blessed One gave them a graduated talk: talk on generosity, talk on virtue, talk on heaven, talk on the drawbacks, lowliness, and defilement of sensuality, and talk on the rewards of renunciation.

When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready — malleable, free from hindrances, uplifted, and bright — he proclaimed the characteristic Dhamma talk of Buddhas: stress, origination, cessation, and path. Just as a clean piece of cloth, free from grime, would properly take dye, in the same way the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for them as they were sitting right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

(Mv.I.10.4) Then they, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed over and beyond uncertainty, having no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness, independence of others with regard to the Teacher’s message, said to the Blessed One, “May we receive the Going-forth in the Blessed One’s presence? May we receive the Acceptance?”

“Come, monks.” Said the Blessed One. “The Dhamma is well-taught. Live the holy life for the right ending of stress.”

Such was the venerable ones’ Acceptance.

Then the Blessed One taught and admonished the monks with talk on the Dhamma.

Then, being taught and admonished by the Blessed One with talk on the Dhamma, their minds were, through lack of clinging/sustenance, released from effluents.”

At that time there were sixty-one arahants in the world.