[393] "Suppose, Aggivessana, there were two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed, well tamed and well trained; and two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed, quite untamed and untrained. What do you think, Aggivessana? Those two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed that are well tamed and well trained — would they, being tamed, take on the behavior of the tamed; would they, being tamed, attain the level of the tamed (dantabhūmi)?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"But those two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed that are untamed and untrained — would they, untamed as they are, take on the behavior of the tamed; would they, untamed as they are, attain the level of the tamed, just like those two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed that are well tamed and well trained?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Even so, Aggivessana, that which is to be known by renunciation (nekkhamma), to be seen by renunciation, to be attained by renunciation, to be realized by renunciation — that Prince Jayasena, dwelling in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying sensual pleasures, being devoured by thoughts of sensual pleasure, being burned by the fever of sensual pleasure, eager in the search for sensual pleasures, will know, or see, or realize: this is not possible."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.