[492] "Moreover, Prince, three similes occurred to me — unprompted (anacchariyā), never heard before in the past.
1. Suppose, Prince, there were a wet, sappy piece of wood, and it were lying in water. Then a man might come along, taking an upper fire-stick, thinking: 'I shall kindle a fire, I shall produce heat.' What do you think, Prince? Could that man, taking the upper fire-stick and rubbing it against that wet, sappy piece of wood lying in water, kindle a fire and produce heat?"
"No indeed, venerable sir. Why is that? Because, venerable sir, that piece of wood is wet and sappy, and moreover it is lying in water; that man would only reap a share of weariness and vexation."
"Even so, Prince, whatever ascetics or brahmins dwell not withdrawn in body from sensual pleasures, and whose sensual desire (kāmacchanda) for sensual pleasures, sensual affection, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, and sensual fever is not well abandoned within, not well stilled — even if those honorable ascetics and brahmins feel painful, racking, piercing feelings (vedanā) arisen from exertion, they are incapable of knowledge (ñāṇa), of vision, of unsurpassed full awakening; and even if those honorable ascetics and brahmins do not feel painful, racking, piercing feelings arisen from exertion, they are still incapable of knowledge, of vision, of unsurpassed full awakening. This, Prince, was the first simile that occurred to me — unprompted, never heard before in the past."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.