[777] "Sisters, I have made this simile in order to convey a meaning. And this here is its meaning: 'The inner mass of flesh (antaro maṃsakāyo),' sisters, is a designation for the six internal sense bases (āyatana). 'The outer hide,' sisters, is a designation for the six external sense bases. 'The tendons in between, the sinews in between, the ligaments in between,' sisters, is a designation for delight and lust (nandirāga). 'The sharp butcher's knife,' sisters, is a designation for noble wisdom (ariyā paññā) — that very noble wisdom which cuts through, carves through, and slices through the defilement (kilesa) in between, the fetter in between, and the bond in between."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.