Preached at Gijjhakūta, soon after Devadatta's secession.
Some young men leave the household, being lured by the life of a monk. As monks, they receive presents, esteem, and repute. These things so please them and satisfy their aspirations that they become conceited and disparage others. Thus they grow remiss and a prey to Ill. Their case resembles that of a man who, needing the best of timber, goes into a forest and is satisfied with cutting off the leafy foliage or the bark of the trees, knowing nothing of the grades of wood. On the other hand, the monk who is satisfied only when he reaches the end of Ill is like a man who takes only the choicest timber, passing over the other. M.i.192-7.