(Mv.I.8.1) [29] Then the Blessed One, early in the morning, adjusted his under robe and — carrying his bowl & robes, with Venerable Yasa as his attendant monk — went to the money-lender’s residence and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out. Then Venerable Yasa’s mother and former wife went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side.

(Mv.I.8.2) 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.8.3) 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,

“Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear.

“We go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, & to the Saṅgha of monks.

“May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who has gone for refuge from this day forward, for life.”

They were the first three-statement female lay disciples in the world.

(Mv.I.8.4) Then Venerable Yasa’s mother, father, and former wife, with their own hands, served & satisfied the Blessed One and Venerable Yasa with exquisite staple & non-staple food. When the Blessed One had finished his meal and withdrawn his hand from the bowl, they sat to one side. The Blessed One, having instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged Yasa’s mother, father, and former wife with Dhamma talk, got up from his seat and left.

(Mv.I.9.1) [30] Yasa’s four householder friends, Vimalo, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji, and Gavampati — sons of wealthy and moderately wealthy families in Bārāṇasī — heard that, “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.9.2) They went to Ven. Yasa and, on arrival, bowed down to him and stood to one side. Then Ven. Yasa, taking his four 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, “Lord, these are my four householder friends, Vimalo, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji, and Gavampati — sons of wealthy and moderately wealthy families in Bārāṇasī.

“May the Blessed One teach and admonish them.”

(Mv.I.9.3) 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.9.4) 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. 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 eleven arahants in the world.

The Four Householder Friends’ Going-forth is finished.