[205] "Good, good, friend Yamaka! Then, friend Yamaka, I shall make a simile for you, for the sake of knowing (ñāṇa) this very matter still more fully. Suppose, friend Yamaka, there were a householder or a householder's son — rich, of great wealth, of great possessions — and he were furnished with protection. Then some man might arise desiring his harm, desiring his misfortune, desiring his insecurity, desiring to deprive him of life. It might occur to that man: 'This householder or householder's son is rich, of great wealth, of great possessions, and he is furnished with protection; it is not easy to deprive him of life by force. Suppose, having insinuated myself, I were to deprive him of life.' He would approach that householder or householder's son and say: 'I would serve you, sir.' Then that householder or householder's son would take him into service; and he would serve him — rising before him, retiring after him, doing whatever is bidden, agreeable in conduct, pleasant in speech. That householder or householder's son would regard him as a friend, would regard him as an intimate companion, and would come to place trust in him. But when, friend, it occurred to that man, 'This householder or householder's son now trusts me,' then, finding him in a private place, he would deprive him of life with a sharp knife.
"What do you think, friend Yamaka? When that man approached that householder or householder's son and said, 'I would serve you, sir' — even then he was a murderer, yet though he was a murderer, the other did not know him thus: 'He is my murderer.' And when he served him — rising before him, retiring after him, doing whatever is bidden, agreeable in conduct, pleasant in speech — even then he was a murderer, yet though he was a murderer, the other did not know him thus: 'He is my murderer.' And when, finding him in a private place, he deprived him of life with a sharp knife — even then he was a murderer, yet though he was a murderer, the other did not know him thus: 'He is my murderer.'"
"So it is, friend."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.