Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Rājagṛha, at Karaṇḍa’s Bamboo Grove, together with a great number of monks, five hundred persons in all. In order of seniority, by turns they were expounded the Teaching.

At the same time, Devadatta was leading five hundred monks, passing by in the proximity of the Tathāgata. On seeing Devadatta at some distance leading his apprentices, the Exalted One uttered these verses:

“One should not keep close company with a bad friend;
One should not be so stupid as to deal with such
A person. One should keep company with a spiritual
Friend who is pre-eminent among men who are
Without blemish to the core. Cultivating the friendship of
A bad friend will necessarily bring about the roots
Of all sorts of what is karmically unwholesome,
Plunging one into darkness for eternity.

When Devadatta’s five hundred disciples had heard the Exalted One utter these verses, they went to where the Exalted One was, bowed down … and sat down at one side. They felt under compulsion to get up again and confess to the Exalted One their offences:

“We have been confused and foolish enough not to rely on a spiritual friend. If only the Exalted One would acknowledge our remorse and forgive us.”

Then the Exalted One accepted the confession of those five hundred monks and forgave them. Furthermore, he expounded to them the Teaching so that they regained their fundamental trust.

Afterwards the five hundred monks stayed at a secluded, quiet place, wisely reflecting on the profundities of the Teaching. Consequently, the five hundred monks attained what is striven after by sons of good family who go forth into homelessness in order to follow the way leading to Nirvāṇa and who lead the unsurpassed holy life out of faith and resolution, namely arhatship. Now they knew in accordance with fact: birth and death have come to an end, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, and there will be no more entering a womb.

After the five hundred persons’ realisation of arhatship and after listening to the Buddha’s words, the monks were pleased and respectfully applied themselves to practice.