“In the same way, Sāḷha, those ascetics and brahmins who teach fervent mortification in disgust of sin—regarding it as essential and sticking to it—are incapable of crossing the flood. And those ascetics and brahmins whose livelihood and behavior by way of body, speech, and mind is not pure are also incapable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

But those ascetics and brahmins who don’t teach mortification in disgust of sin—not regarding it as essential or sticking to it—are capable of crossing the flood. And those ascetics and brahmins whose behavior by way of body, speech, and mind is pure are also capable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

Suppose a man who wanted to cross a river took a sharp axe into a wood. There he’d see a large green sal tree, straight and young and grown unskewed. He’d cut it down at the base, cut off the top, and completely strip off the branches and foliage. Then he’d trim it with axes and machetes. Then he’d take a chisel and completely clear it out inside. Then he’d plane it, sand it with a rock, and make it into a boat. Finally he’d fix it with oars and rudder, and launch out on the river.

What do you think, Sāḷha? Is that man capable of crossing the river?” “Yes, sir. Why is that? Because that green sal tree is well worked on the outside, cleared out on the inside, made into a boat, and fixed with oars and rudder. I’d expect that boat to not sink, and the man to safely make it to the far shore.”