Book Summary: “The Knight in Rusty Armor” by Robert Fisher
The book, written 30 years ago, includes a Forward that sums it up nicely: this is a lighthearted tale of a desperate knight in search of his true self. Their journey reflects ours, full of hope and despair, faith and disappointment, laughter and tears. Anyone who has ever struggled 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 nourish your soul.
This book was recommended to me by a fellow business coach who uses it frequently when working with clients. It is a short read, but I recommend that you do not read it too quickly, as you may 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 thought of himself as a good, kind, and loving man (for example, he fought enemies who were evil, mean, and hateful; slew dragons; and rescued beautiful damsels in distress), he wanted to be the number one knight in the kingdom and for that was never satisfied. Unfortunately, he neglected his wife and son because he was on a crusade or preoccupied with his men’s business when he was at home.
He had fallen in love with his armor so much that he constantly wore it in his castle (even for dinner and bedtime) and it began to become his unique identity.
The knight was faced with a dilemma when his wife threatened to take their son and leave if he did not remove his armor (so he could see who he really was). Not wanting to lose his family, he went to remove his helmet, but did not move. When the local blacksmith was also unable 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 Forest
The knight searched the forest for months in search of Merlin, but to no avail. He was losing hope and self-confidence when he finally found Merlin sitting in the woods, surrounded by forest animals. When the knight said that he had been looking for Merlin and that he was lost for months, Merlin corrected him by saying “Your whole life” (that he was lost). 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 made him too weak to get back on his horse and drive away. Merlin said this was fortunate 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 so scared. The knight replied that he wore the armor to protect himself and “to show that he was a good, kind and loving knight.” “If you were really good and kind and loving, why did you have to show it?” Merlin asked. Then the knight asked, “Why do you always answer one question with another question?” to which Merlin replied “And why do you always seek the answers to your questions from others?”
Chapter 3 – The Way of Truth
Merlin sent the knight down a new path, saying that “people are often unaware of the path they are 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 although he wasn’t sure it was worth the climb, he knew he had to give it a try. Merlin agreed, saying “Your decision to take an unknown path while laden in heavy armor requires courage.” When Merlin mentioned that at the top of the Path there would be three castles blocking his way, the knight became excited and enthusiastically said that “There will be a princess within each castle, and I will kill the dragon guarding 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 Dare. 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 fight on the Path of Truth. The fight will be learning to love yourself.”
Chapter 4 – The Castle of Silence
After many dangers, 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 wise words like, “You can’t really see until you understand.” “Most of us are trapped within our armor.” “Being quiet is more than not talking.” “Everyone understands the crusades, but very few understand the truth.” After the king’s departure, the knight spends (what turns out to be) a very 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, awakening outside the castle. There 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 says: 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 had needed the love of his wife and son (and all the damsels he had rescued) because he did not love himself. And if he didn’t love himself, he couldn’t really love others. When the knight admitted this, Merlin the Magician appeared and said, “You have discovered a great truth. You can only love others to the extent that you love yourself.”
The knight also came to understand that his ambition to become the greatest knight on earth might have led him astray. Merlin wondered aloud if the knight had been so busy trying to convert, that he couldn’t just enjoy being. Merlin said that “the 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 that moment 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.
Chapter 6 – The Castle of Will and Daring
The next day the knight reached the drawbridge of Will and Daring Castle. When he was halfway there, a huge fire-breathing dragon came out heavily which was aptly named the Dragon of Fear and Doubt. The knight was scared, yet 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 more powerful than the sword. With her newfound knowledge that she was born good, kind, and caring, and that she didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, she realized that she didn’t need to feel fear or doubt. The dragon was just an illusion.
Gathering all his courage, the knight marched towards the dragon, singing to himself: “Fear and doubt are illusions.” The dragon threw giant flames at the knight, but none set him on fire. The dragon got smaller and smaller until it was no bigger than a frog, and then it started spitting small seeds at the knight. But these seeds, the Seeds of Doubt, did not stop the knight either. He had conquered the dragon who whispered to the knight “I will 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 now nothing could stop him.
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 a chiseled inscription on it: Although this universe I own, I do not own anything, because 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 he was holding on to the jagged rocks, so in order to know the unknown, he felt he needed to let go, even if the fall could kill him. Relying on “life, force, universe, God, whatever you want to call it,” the knight let go and sank.
During his fall, the knight released his guilt, his judgments, and his excuses, accepting full responsibility for his life. And now he was not afraid. When an unknown calm washed over him, he found himself getting up and then standing on the top of the mountain. “He would let go of everything he had feared and everything he had known and possessed. His will to embrace the unknown had set him free. Now the universe was his to experience and enjoy.” He wept tears of joy that melted the last of his armor. He smiled through the tears, not realizing that a new, radiant light was shining on him.
The beginning