[286] "What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Have you ever seen or heard of a king or a king's chief minister who—furnished and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇa), amusing himself with them—without having abandoned craving for sensual pleasures (kāmataṇhā), without having dispelled the fever of sensuality (kāmapariḷāha), has dwelt, or dwells, or will dwell rid of thirst, with a mind inwardly at peace?"
"No indeed, Master Gotama."
"Good, Māgaṇḍiya. I too, Māgaṇḍiya, have neither seen nor heard of a king or a king's chief minister who—furnished and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure, amusing himself with them—without having abandoned craving for sensual pleasures, without having dispelled the fever of sensuality, has dwelt, or dwells, or will dwell rid of thirst, with a mind inwardly at peace. Rather, Māgaṇḍiya, whatever ascetics or brahmins have dwelt, or dwell, or will dwell rid of thirst, with a mind inwardly at peace—all of them, having known as it really is the origin, the disappearance, the gratification (assāda), the drawback (ādīnava), and the escape (nissaraṇa) with regard to sensual pleasures themselves, having abandoned craving for sensual pleasures and dispelled the fever of sensuality, have dwelt, or dwell, or will dwell rid of thirst, with a mind inwardly at peace."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.