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"Even so, Bhāradvāja, whatever ascetics or brahmins dwell not withdrawn in body from sensual pleasures, and whose sensual desire (kāmacchanda), sensual affection, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, and sensual fever regarding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English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.