**Quicksand similes**

> Attaining true liberation /
​is just like this:
once rid of afflictions, /
​the quicksand of desires,
no one knows /
​whither he went.

> - [Dabba enters Nirvāṇa][1]

**one not having himself attained to liberation, is not qualified to liberate other.**

I am not sure if there is any reference like this as even in the time of the Buddha there were famous monks with liberated students where the teacher monk was not liberate.


  [1]: https://suttacentral.net/en/sa-2.15