[503] "Just as, venerable sir, there might be a lotus pond not far from a village or a market town, and in it there might be a crab; and then, venerable sir, many boys or girls, coming out from that village or market town, would go to that lotus pond, and having gone there, they would lift that crab out of the water and set it down on dry land; and whatever claw, venerable sir, that crab extended, that very claw those boys or girls would cut off, break, and smash to pieces with a stick or a stone — so that, venerable sir, with all its claws cut off, broken, and smashed to pieces, that crab would be unable to go down into that lotus pond again as before; in the same way, venerable sir, whatever distortions, manoeuvres, and contortions there were, all of them have been cut off, broken, and smashed to pieces by the Blessed One; and now, venerable sir, I am unable to approach the Blessed One again — that is, as one seeking an opening."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.