Mahāsaccaka Sutta
Saccaka visits the Buddha at the Kūṭāgārasālā and questions him on the disciplining of the body and the mind. The Buddha describes to him the training he underwent from the time of leaving the world to that of his Enlightenment, stopping at no exertion, avoiding no austerities until, in the end, wisdom came to him, and he realised that bliss could not be experienced with an emaciated body. The group of five ascetics (pañcavaggiya), who had been with him until then, left him in disgust. However, he persevered, and, in the end, destroyed the corruptions (āsava). Saccaka, addressed in the sutta as Aggivessana, expresses great admiration for the Buddha and acknowledges his superiority over other teachers. M.i.237‑51; see Thomas: op.cit., 58.