In ‘Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters’, Chiron tells Percy the half-blood (i.e. an imaginary semi-human and semi-god), ‘Knowledge isn’t always power, Percy. Sometimes it’s a burden.’ It was to retort the common saying that ‘Knowledge is power’. Truth is, to have practical knowledge is to have power to its extent. To have much of such knowledge can very powerful… powerfully good or evil. What makes it a good (or pure) power is when that known is used with wisdom. In this sense, while knowledge is not always power, wisdom is always the true power.
Chiron was kind of warning Percy not to ask too much, for what he might not be able to handle, that might overwhelm him. While enquiry when in doubt is generally sensible, with life being short, it is most sensible to ask for what is not only practical, but important. Even if leading to the challenging, worthy burdens should be taken up. Just as Percy and company’s quest for the golden fleece to heal and protect, began with the quest for knowledge, right knowledge should lead to right action.
To Buddhists, the best knowledge is the Dharma, which is by default wisdom, that when practised, leads to True Happiness of one and all, transcending human and godly happiness. To know and see the Dharma is to have spiritual power. Surely, there is no greater quest possible. Even the quest for mythological fleece was in spirit search for temporal happiness. This is while the quest for liberation, which is also for enlightenment has lasting results. This is our golden quest. And to endeavour on it is our burden to bear. However, the blessings of the Triple Gem can always be connected to, to lighten it with joy!
