The book, written 30 years ago, includes a trailer that sums it up nicely: this is a light-hearted tale of a desperate knight in search of his true self. His journey mirrors our own, filled with hope and despair, faith and disappointment, laughter and tears. Anyone who has ever wrestled with the meaning of life and love will discover profound wisdom and truth as this delightful fantasy unfolds. “The Knight” is an experience that will expand your mind, touch your heart, and nurture your soul.
This book was recommended to me by a fellow business coach who uses it frequently when working with clients. It’s a short read, but I recommend that you don’t read it too fast, as you might miss out on some of the great lessons and insights it contains.
Here’s a summary of the story, including some of its key points and lessons (from my perspective):
Chapter 1 – The Knight’s Dilemma
Although he considered himself a good, kind, and loving man (for example, he fought enemies that were mean, mean, and hateful; he slayed dragons and rescued beautiful maidens in distress), he wanted to be the number one knight in the kingdom and that’s why he was never satisfied. Unfortunately, he neglected his wife and son because he was on a crusade or was preoccupied with his knightly business when he was at home.
He had become so enamored with his armor that he constantly wore it around his castle (including for dining and sleeping) and it began to become his only identity.
The knight was faced with a dilemma when his wife threatened to take their son and leave if he didn’t remove his armor (so she could see who he really was). Not wanting to lose his family, he went to remove his helmet but had no budget. When the local blacksmith also failed to remove it, the knight knew he had to seek help in other lands, in the form of Merlin the Wizard.
Chapter 2 – In Merlin’s Woods
The knight searched the forest for months looking for Merlin, but to no avail. He was losing hope and self-confidence when he finally found Merlin sitting in the forest, surrounded by forest animals. When the knight said that he had been looking for Merlin and was missing for months, Merlin corrected him by saying “All your life” (that he has been missing). The knight replied that he had not come here to be insulted, but Merlin commented that “Perhaps you have always taken the truth as an insult.”
The knight was now upset and wanted to leave, but the weight of the armor had weakened him too much to get back on his horse and ride away. Merlin said that this was lucky because “a person cannot run and also learn. He must stay in one place for a while.” Merlin then told the knight that he was not born with the armor and that the reason he had put it on in the first place was because he was too afraid. The knight replied that he wore the armor for protection and “to show that I was a good, kind and loving knight.” “If you really were good, kind and loving, why did you have to show it?” asked Merlin. The gentleman then asked, “Why do you always answer a question with another question?” to which Merlin replied “And why do you always look for the answers to your questions in others?”
Chapter 3 – The Path of Truth
Merlin senses the knight on his way down a new path, saying that “people often don’t realize the path he’s on” and reminding him of his purpose: to get rid of his armor. This new path, the Path of Truth, seemed narrow and steep to the knight, and though he wasn’t sure if it was worth the climb, he knew he had to try. Merlin agreed, saying, “Your decision to take an unknown path while burdened with heavy armor requires courage.” When Merlin mentioned that at the top of the Path there would be three castles blocking his way, the knight got excited and said excitedly that “There will be a princess inside each castle, I will kill the dragon that protects her and rescue her -” But Merlin interrupted him saying : “There will be no princesses in any of these castles. You must first learn to save yourself.”
Merlin continued. “The first castle is called Silence; the second, Knowledge; and the third, Will and Dauntless. Once you enter them, you will find your way out only after you have learned what you are there to learn.” The knight felt that this journey was going to be much more difficult than a crusade and Merlin agreed, saying, “There is a different battle to be fought in the Path of Truth. The fight will be learning to love yourself.”
Chapter 4 – The Castle of Silence
After much peril, the knight finds and enters the Castle of Silence, only to discover that the king of his home kingdom is there, working on his own self-discovery. The two have a long conversation, during which the king utters words of wisdom such as: “One cannot truly see until one understands.” “Most of us are trapped inside our armor.” “Being silent is more than not speaking.” “Everyone understands the crusades, but very few understand the truth.” After the king leaves, the knight spends (what turns out to be) a long time in silence, contemplating who he is and how to find the hidden door (of enlightenment) that would lead him to the next part of his journey. Exhausted from deep exploration of himself, the knight finally falls into a deep sleep and wakes up outside the castle. It is there that he discovers that his helmet has fallen off!
Chapter 5 – The Castle of Knowledge
Back on the Path of Truth, the knight walks all day before reaching the Castle of Knowledge and finding an inscription on the wall that reads: Knowledge is the light by which you will find your way. And then another that said: Have you confused need with love? As he sat for a while and contemplated these readings, he realized that he needed the love of his wife and son (and all the maidens he had rescued) because he did not love himself. And if he didn’t love himself, he couldn’t really love others. As the knight admitted this to himself, Merlin the Wizard appeared and told him, “You have discovered a great truth. You can love others only to the extent that you love yourself.”
The knight also came to understand that his ambition to become the greatest knight in the land might have led him astray. Merlin wondered aloud if the knight had been so busy trying to turn that he couldn’t enjoy just being. Merlin said that “Ambition that comes from the mind can make you [material riches]. However, only ambition that comes from the heart can also bring happiness.” When the knight promised that, from now on, his ambition would come from the heart, he magically found himself back on the Path of Truth… and the armor on his arms and legs had fallen off.
Episode 6 – The Castle of Will and Dare
The next day the knight arrived at the drawbridge of Will and Daring Castle. When he was halfway there, a huge fire-breathing dragon lumbered out, aptly named the Dragon of Fear and Doubt. The knight was scared, however, he remembered that Merlin once said that self-knowledge could kill the Dragon of Fear and Doubt, because self-knowledge is the truth and the truth is mightier than the sword. With his new knowledge that he was born good, kind and loving, and that he didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, he realized that he didn’t have to feel fear or doubt. The dragon was just an illusion.
Gathering all his courage, the knight marched on the dragon, singing to himself “Fear and doubt are illusions.” The dragon spewed gigantic flames at the knight, but none set him on fire. The dragon got smaller and smaller until he was no bigger than a frog, and then he started spitting little seeds at the knight. But these seeds, the Seeds of Doubt, did not stop the knight either. He had conquered the dragon who quietly told the knight “I’ll come back again and again to get in your way”…and then the dragon disappeared. Self-knowledge had killed the Dragon of Fear and Doubt, and the knight thought that nothing could stop him now.
The Final Chapter – The Summit of Truth
To complete this part of his journey of self-discovery, the knight needed to scale sharp rocks on his way to the Summit of Truth. Near the top and blocking his path, he found a huge rock with an inscription carved on it: Though I own this universe, I own nothing, for I cannot know the unknown if I cling to the known. He was no longer sure of all the things he thought he knew about himself: like his identity, his beliefs, and his judgments. He knew that he was clinging to the jagged rocks, so in order to know the unknown, he felt that he needed to let go, even if the fall might kill him. Trusting in “life, force, the universe, God, whatever you want to call it”, the knight let go and dove in.
During his fall, the knight freed himself from his guilt, judgments, and excuses, accepting full responsibility for his life. And now he was not afraid. As an unfamiliar calm washed over him, he found himself getting back up and then standing on top of the mountain. “He Let go of everything he had feared and everything he had known and possessed. His willingness to embrace the unknown had set him free. Now the universe was his to experience and enjoy.” He cried tears of joy that melted the last of his armor. He smiled through his tears, not realizing that a radiant new light was shining on him.
The beginning