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Book Name: Beyond EnlightenmentPrevious     Next
 

to be exposed as an ignorant person.

Everybody is pretending to be knowledgeable.

In my village there was a certain man... a little loose in the head, so I was very much interested in him. I am always interested in people who are a little loose; they are special people.

His name was Sunderlal, but I used to call him Doctor Sunderlal. At first he could not believe it -- why am I calling him doctor? He asked me, "You said DOCTOR?"

I said, "You are `doctor'. In this village, nobody is more knowledgeable than you are."

He said, "That's true."

I said, "In this village, you are a D.Litt., a doctor."

He said, "Are you joking?"

I said, "Why should I joke? A fact is a fact. If you want, I can bring a few people as witnesses."

He said, "No, no, there is no need. I trust in you; if you are saying it, then it must be so."

The next day I saw that he had hung a board on his house: Doctor Sunderlal, D.Litt.

The whole town was agog... suddenly this crazy man... "Which university has given him a D.Litt.?"

I reached his home and I said, "You have done the right thing. It is not a question of any university -- what rights do they have to give you a D.Litt.? -- it is your declaration."

He said, "That's right. Because my father was saying, `You idiot, you are writing Doctor Sunderlal, D.Litt. -- the police will come! You will be caught in some trouble; don't listen to that man.'"

I said, "There is no question; it is your declaration that `In this village I am the most knowledgeable person. If anybody has any doubts... open challenge!'"

He said, "Should it be written underneath the board?"

I said, "It should be written underneath the board."

So a certain board was made on which he wrote, "This is a declaration that in this village I am the most knowledgeable person. And if somebody has any doubts, that means an open challenge for a discussion."

Now, who wanted to discuss with that fellow? He was so crazy; nobody turned up. And he was sitting in a chair just by the side of the board waiting for somebody to come.

I inquired two or three times, "Has anybody

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