"Sometimes we do, lord, and sometimes we don't."

"It's no gain for you, Sakyans. It's ill-gotten, that in this life so endangered by grief, in this life so endangered by death, you sometimes observe the eight-factored uposatha and sometimes don't.

"What do you think, Sakyans. Suppose a man, by some profession or other, without encountering an unskillful day, were to earn a half-kahapana. Would he deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"

"Yes, lord."

"Suppose a man, by some profession or other, without encountering an unskillful day, were to earn a kahapana... two kahapanas... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty... one hundred kahapanas. Would he deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"

"Yes, lord."

"Now what do you think: earning one hundred, one thousand kahapanas a day; saving up his gains, living for one hundred years, would a man arrive at a great mass of wealth?"

"Yes, lord."

"Now what do you think: would that man, because of that wealth, on account of that wealth, with that wealth as the cause, live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a day, a night, half a day, or half a night?"

"No, lord. And why is that? Sensual pleasures are inconstant, hollow, false, deceptive by nature."

"Now, Sakyans, there is the case where a disciple of mine, spending ten years practicing as I have instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a nonreturner, or at the very least a stream-winner.

"Let alone ten years, there is the case where a disciple of mine, spending nine years... eight years... seven... six... five... four... three... two years... one year practicing as I have instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a nonreturner, or at the very least a stream-winner.

"Let alone one year, there is the case where a disciple of mine, spending ten months... nine months... eight months... seven... six... five... four... three... two months... one month... half a month practicing as I have instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a nonreturner, or at the very least a stream-winner.

"Let alone half a month, there is the case where a disciple of mine, spending ten days & nights... nine days & nights... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two days & nights... one day & night practicing as I have instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a nonreturner, or at the very least a stream-winner.

"It's no gain for you, Sakyans. It's ill-gotten, that in this life so endangered by grief, in this life so endangered by death, you sometimes observe the eight-factored uposatha and sometimes don't."

"Then from this day forward, lord, we will observe the eight-factored uposatha."