I declare this to you, Sunakkhatta, I announce this to you! There will be some who say to you that Sunakkhatta was unable to lead the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama. That’s why he resigned the training and returned to a lesser life. That’s what they’ll say.’ Though I spoke to Sunakkhatta like this, he still left this teaching and training, like someone on the highway to hell.

2. On the Aristocrat of Kuru Bhaggava, this one time I was staying in the land of the Kurus where they have a town named Uttarakā. Then I robed up in the morning and, taking my bowl and robe, entered Uttarakā for alms with Sunakkhatta the Licchavi as my second monk. Now at that time a naked ascetic who was an aristocrat of Kuru had taken a vow to behave like a dog. When food is tossed on the ground, he gets down on all fours, eating and devouring it just with his mouth. Sunakkhatta saw him doing this and thought, ‘That ascetic is a holy man!’