[354] The Blessed One said this: "Brahmin, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, were to pass over the very heartwood, pass over the softwood, pass over the bark, pass over the outer crust, and, cutting off the branches and leaves, take them and depart, imagining them to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Truly, this worthy man did not know the heartwood, did not know the softwood, did not know the bark, did not know the outer crust, did not know the branches and leaves. That is why this worthy man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, passed over the very heartwood, passed over the softwood, passed over the bark, passed over the outer crust, and, cutting off the branches and leaves, has taken them and departed, imagining them to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will not accomplish.'
"Or again, brahmin, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, were to pass over the very heartwood, pass over the softwood, pass over the bark, and, cutting off the outer crust, take it and depart, imagining it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Truly, this worthy man did not know the heartwood, did not know the softwood, did not know the bark, did not know the outer crust, did not know the branches and leaves. That is why this worthy man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, passed over the very heartwood, passed over the softwood, passed over the bark, and, cutting off the outer crust, has taken it and departed, imagining it to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will not accomplish.'
"Or again, brahmin, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, were to pass over the very heartwood, pass over the softwood, and, cutting off the bark, take it and depart, imagining it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Truly, this worthy man did not know the heartwood, did not know the softwood, did not know the bark, did not know the outer crust, did not know the branches and leaves. That is why this worthy man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, passed over the very heartwood, passed over the softwood, and, cutting off the bark, has taken it and departed, imagining it to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will not accomplish.'
"Or again, brahmin, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, were to pass over the very heartwood and, cutting off the softwood, take it and depart, imagining it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Truly, this worthy man did not know the heartwood, did not know the softwood, did not know the bark, did not know the outer crust, did not know the branches and leaves. That is why this worthy man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, passed over the very heartwood and, cutting off the softwood, has taken it and departed, imagining it to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will not accomplish.'
"Or again, brahmin, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, were to cut off just the heartwood itself, take it, and depart, knowing it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Truly, this worthy man knew the heartwood, knew the softwood, knew the bark, knew the outer crust, knew the branches and leaves. That is why this worthy man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood was standing there, cut off just the heartwood itself, has taken it and departed, knowing it to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will accomplish.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.