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He may become an authority on all the information regarding swimming. He may even qualify to lecture on the subject -- but do not ever push him into water, for whatever his qualifications, he cannot swim! To know swimming and to know about it, are two entirely different things. It is quite possible that one who knows swimming may be unable to explain it. He might say: "All I know is that I jump into water and -- I swim! You too, will swim if you jump. If you insist on him clarifying his statement, one will say: "How is it possible to speak about it? I can jump in the water and demonstrate. What discussion can there be in the matter of swimming?"
So also, we can know about truth but that is not knowing truth. There is a great number of such learned pundits who know about truth, but those who "know" truth are few and far between. And invariably these learned pundits become the enemies of the saint and the seer. This is natural, for the superficial knowledge of the pundit, holds no ground before the lofty knowledge of self experience. One who "knows," knows there is no need to discourse; knowing is enough. Of what worth is the knowledge if one cannot swim?
There was a fakir, Mulla Nasrudin. He used to ply a boat to earn a living For two paise he would take a person across the river. Once a pundit got into his boat. As they were going along the pundit asked the Mulla: "Mulla, have you any knowledge of mathematics?"
"Mathematics?" asked the Mulla, "What does it look like?"
The pundit was shocked. "You do not know the science of numbers? Your life is spent in vain. Four annas worth of your life has gone to utter waste."
After some time he asked again. "Mulla, do you know astrology?"
"What in the name of heaven is that?" asked the Mulla.
The pundit shook his head in despair. "Mulla!" he said, "Eight annas worth of your life is wasted. If you do not know astrology, what else can you know?" And then a storm arose. A strong gale began to blow and the angry waves tossed the boat up and down. The Mulla asked; "Punditji, can you swim?"
"Not at all!" said the pundit. "Then sixteen annas worth of your life have gone completely
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