an.1.41 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Chapter on a Spike

41
“Mendicants, suppose a spike of rice or barley was pointing the wrong way. If you trod on it with hand or foot, there’s no way it could break the skin and produce blood.
Why is that?
Because the spike is pointing the wrong way.
In the same way, a mendicant whose mind is pointing the wrong way cannot break ignorance, produce knowledge, and realize extinguishment.
Why is that?
Because their mind is pointing the wrong way.”