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light -- it can only be seen. Then the blind man asks: "What is this seeing?" If he knew what it was to see, he would not be blind -- and so he merely scoffs at others; and blames them for their mean tricks to prove him sightless. "I cannot see light nor can you -- for there is no such thing as light," he asserts.
Buddha said: "It is futile to explain to him and I shall not commit that folly. What this man needs is a doctor and not a philosopher. He needs treatment for his eyes and not sermons for his soul. Get his eyes treated that he may see; then he will know. A thousand Buddhas will not be able to convince him."
The man was taken to an eye-specialist and was cured within six months. When Buddha passed that way again, the man went to him. "Light is," he said and fell at Buddha's feet.
"Where is it?" Buddha asked, "I want to touch it."
"It cannot be known by touch or taste."
"Let me smell it," Buddha insisted.
"Please do not laugh at me Sire! The past is over. Now I can see that it is."
"Why did you not believe your friends when they told you?" asked Buddha.
"The fault was not mine," said the man, "for how can a blind man understand light? And if I had taken their word for granted, I should still have been a blind man, and then I should never have known."
TRUTH IS TO BE KNOWN; IT CANNOT BE SUPPOSED. It can neither be inculcated nor communicated. There is no "learning" of Truth. Therefore there are no schools where truth is taught and people can learn. But there is a remedy -- the eyes can be treated How? We shall discuss this tomorrow in the third rule.
For the present, in the course of the second rule, it is necessary to know that Truth can be known, but this knowing comes always from within. What we call knowledge always comes from outside, whereas 'knowing' always comes from within. We can obtain the knowledge of light from books but not the "knowing" of light; that has to come from within. Thus there is a difference between knowledge and knowing. Knowledge makes a man learned but not wise. Wisdom comes only by knowing -- knowing oneself.
A man may read all the books on swimming. He
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