[3] When this was said, Pessa the elephant driver's son said this to the Blessed One: "It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous, venerable sir, how well proclaimed by the Blessed One are these four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna) — for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of suffering (dukkha) and grief, for the attainment of the true way (ñāya), for the realization of Nibbāna. For we too, venerable sir, householders clothed in white, from time to time dwell with our minds well established in these four establishments of mindfulness. Here, venerable sir, we dwell contemplating the body in the body (kāyānupassanā) — ardent (ātāpī), clearly comprehending (sampajāno), possessed of mindfulness (sati), having subdued covetousness and grief regarding the world (abhijjhā-domanassa); we dwell contemplating feelings (vedanā) in feelings — ardent, clearly comprehending, possessed of mindfulness, having subdued covetousness and grief regarding the world; we dwell contemplating the mind (citta) in the mind — ardent, clearly comprehending, possessed of mindfulness, having subdued covetousness and grief regarding the world; we dwell contemplating dhammas in dhammas — ardent, clearly comprehending, possessed of mindfulness, having subdued covetousness and grief regarding the world.
It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous, venerable sir, that, while such a human tangle persists, while such human dregs persist, while such human deceitfulness persists, the Blessed One knows the welfare and harm of beings. For a tangle, venerable sir, is this — namely, human beings; an open thing, venerable sir, is this — namely, beasts. For I, venerable sir, am able to drive an elephant under training: in the interval it takes to go back and forth to Campā, that elephant will display all its deceits, frauds, crookednesses, and duplicities. But our slaves, messengers, or workers, venerable sir, behave in one way with the body, in another way with speech, while their mind is yet another way. It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous, venerable sir, that, while such a human tangle persists, while such human dregs persist, while such human deceitfulness persists, the Blessed One knows the welfare and harm of beings. For a tangle, venerable sir, is this — namely, human beings; an open thing, venerable sir, is this — namely, beasts."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.