Understanding is like water flowing in a stream. Wisdom and knowledge are
solid and can block our understanding. In Buddhism, knowledge is regarded as
an obstacle for understanding. If we take something to be the truth, we may
cling to it so much that even if the truth comes and knocks at our door, we
won’t want to let it in. We have to be able to transcend our previous
knowledge the way we climb up a ladder. If we are on the fifth rung and
think that we are very high, there is no hope for us to step up to the
sixth. We must learn to transcend our own views. Understanding, like water,
can flow, can penetrate. Views, knowledge, and even wisdom are solid, and
can block the way of understanding.
Thich Nhat Hanh, “The Heart Sutra” (Spring 1992)