Chapter 21 Knowledge Is Dangerous

A man went to see a doctor and told him his wife couldn't have children. The doctor examined the woman, took her pulse, and said, "I can't just treat your infertility, because I've discovered that you will die within forty days no matter what." The woman was very distressed upon hearing this and could barely eat for forty days. But she didn't die as expected, so her husband went to see the doctor again. The doctor said, "Yes, I know, her infertility is cured." The husband asked the doctor why. The doctor told him, "You were far too obese, which hindered her ability to conceive. I knew that the only way to keep her from eating was through the fear of death. Now, she is cured."

Knowledge is a very dangerous matter. This doctor was lying. He said things that wouldn't happen, but because of that, some things happened. He made death a woman's nightmare, constantly threatening her with death and preventing her from eating, but she didn't die; forty days later, she recovered and was no longer infertile. He could have told her to diet or fast at first, that's true; but it wasn't wise, because a woman won't fast for forty days. Many doctors must have told her this, and she wouldn't have listened. Truth isn't necessarily wise, and lies aren't necessarily foolish. The problem of knowledge is complex. This wise doctor created a situation where he knew he could use people's fear of death to scare her, making her anxious and forget to eat. Who can eat when death is knocking at the door? Every moment she would look at the clock, every day she would look at the calendar, saying, "Time has passed again, how can I have the appetite?" But she didn't die, and her body was renewed as a result. Untrue, but wise—this is often the case with Sufi masters.

Yes, the problem of knowledge is extremely dangerous for many reasons. The first reason is that when a person possesses knowledge, although they can understand the complexity of life and the mysterious ways in which life functions, the truth cannot be revealed because people use helpful lies. Since the truth becomes an obstacle, they do not advocate for it. Every great teacher—Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad—was a great liar. You may find it hard to believe, but I say this after careful consideration. I know why I say this. The fundamental problem is that they don't tell you the truth; they only try to guide you towards it.

Someone asked the Buddha, "What is truth?" The Buddha replied, "It is something usable." Truth is undefined, while lies are usable—the Buddha was right. What might help you is possible, an illusion, but if it leads you to truth, then it is real. Otherwise, another situation might arise: you know the truth, but it becomes an obstacle, leading you into confusion and darkness. The final result is the standard of judgment.

This is why I say many people may attain enlightenment, but few become teachers. Enlightenment means you must solve your problems. When you are enlightened, knowledge is like a vast ocean; dealing with it and helping others becomes very difficult. Those unaware of the dangers of knowledge may think it is useful. It is destructive and not necessarily benevolent. You might think knowledge will free you from chaos, but it will actually make you more chaotic. This often happens even to enlightened beings. Because true phenomena are so vast and complex, and you must reduce them to simple phenomena, the vast majority is overlooked. For example, Krishnamurti. He was definitely an enlightened being. But he tried to explain immense complexity in simple terms, thus missing the mystery. He looked like a logician; he spoke very rationally, but the mystery was lost. He also repeatedly used peculiar forms, but they did not help anyone; instead, they led people astray—because his attitude was fixed, while life is not static. Sometimes, some people attain truth without a teacher; sometimes, one needs many teachers. Both are true.