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It is not only possible, it is certain. You will become a fool. But foolishness has its own wisdom. You will become a fool and wise together. The so-called wise who are never foolish are not really wise. Because wisdom is paradoxical. Wisdom is not only serious, it is playful too. And foolishness is playfulness.

Wisdom is not only intellectual knowledge, it is existential celebration. Wisdom is not cerebral — it is not of the head, it is of the total being. And the total being has emotions, sentiments, feelings. And the total being is far bigger than the poor small intellect.

And whatsoever goes beyond intellect, the intellect says is foolishness: Beware — don't move, don't take another step, otherwise you will become a fool. So people remain confined in the intellect. They remain knowledgeable but they never become wise.

A wise man is playful. He can afford to be foolish, he is so much in trust with life. He has no need to prove himself always wise, he has no need to convince others that 'I am always wise.' That need exists only because you are afraid of your foolishness. The really wise is one who is relaxed. Yes, he can play like a fool, he can laugh like a fool.

Just think of Christ, think of Lao Tzu, think of Bodhidharma. These people are really wise people, but they can act foolishly. Lao Tzu has said 'Everybody seems to be so wise, except me.' And he is the wise man. Lao Tzu says 'Everybody seems to be so confident and I am so hesitant. Everybody seems to be so clear about life. And I am so unclear, surrounded by a cloud.' — What is he saying? He is saying that clarity that has no clouds in it is a poor clarity. Because it will not have any mystery in it. Without mist how can you have mystery? It will be plain, superficial, hollow, it will not have any depth.

Have you not heard about it, that in ancient days every king's court used to have a fool? For a certain reason — so that the fool keeps balance. Otherwise all the viziers and the prime ministers are so knowledgeable, they will create a lopsidedness. A fool was needed, a perfect fool was needed. And the fool was a must. If modern governments behave foolishly, the reason is, the fool has disappeared. Jimmy Carter needs a fool there in the cabinet, a special department for the fool must be there — who can bring people to laughter, who can disperse seriousness, who can make you like children. Who can make you aware of the mystery of life, that it is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived.

There is a famous story about Mulla Nasruddin...
—
De keizer was met hem in gesprek en zei: ‘Ik heb besloten alle onwaarheid uit mijn land uit te roeien.’

Nasruddin begon te lachen. De keizer vroeg: ‘Waarom lach je?’

Nasruddin zei: ‘Dat is dwaasheid. Niemand kan onwaarheid uitroeien, want onwaarheid en waarheid bestaan naast elkaar. Als u de onwaarheid vernietigt, zal ook de waarheid vernietigd worden, Sire. Ze zijn als dag en nacht.’

Maar de koning was een logicus. Hij zei: ‘Wat een onzin sla je uit! Ze bestaan helemaal niet naast elkaar. De waarheid staat tegenover de onwaarheid; het zijn vijanden. En ik heb mijn besluit genomen. Je zult zien dat ik de onwaarheid zal uitroeien. Vanaf morgenochtend zal ik elke dag één man ophangen die op een leugen wordt betrapt. Hij zal op het marktplein worden opgehangen, zodat de hele hoofdstad ervan weet. En elke dag zal er een man worden opgehangen, zodat de mensen bang worden.’

Nasruddin vroeg: ‘Waar gaat u die man vinden?’
De koning zei: ‘Bij de stadspoort. Ik zal daar bij de stadspoort staan en als iemand liegt, wordt hij onmiddellijk opgepakt.’
Nasruddin zei: ‘Dan zie ik u morgen bij de stadspoort.’

En de eerste man die de stad binnenkwam, was Nasruddin, gezeten op zijn ezel. De koning vroeg: ‘Nasruddin, waar ga je naartoe?’
Hij antwoordde: ‘Naar de galg.’

Nu had hij een probleem geschapen. Als je hem naar de galg stuurt, heeft hij de waarheid gesproken en is er een waarachtig man gedood. Als je hem niet naar de galg stuurt, heeft hij gelogen, maar dan... Wat moet je nu doen?

En Nasruddin zei: ‘Ik ben hier, Sire. Doe nu maar wat u wilt. Ik ga naar de galg!’
De koning boog het hoofd. Hij zei: ‘U hebt gelijk. Het leven is zo onmetelijk ruim dat de logica het niet kan omvatten.’
—
The emperor was talking to him, and the emperor said 'I have decided to destroy all untruth from my country.'
Nasruddin laughed. The emperor said 'Why are you laughing?'
Nasruddin said 'This is foolish. Nobody can destroy untruth, because untruth and truth exist together. If you destroy untruth, truth will be destroyed, Sir. They are like day and night.'

But the king was a logician. He said 'What nonsense you are talking! They don't exist together. Truth is against untruth, they are enemies. And I have decided, and you will see that I will destroy untruth. From tomorrow morning, every day I am going to hang one man who is found to be lying. He will be hanged in the marketplace so the whole capital knows. And every day a man will be hanged, so people become afraid.'

Nasruddin asked 'Where are you going to find that man?'
The king said 'At the city gate. I will be there at the city gate and if anybody lies, immediately he will be caught.'
Nasruddin said 'Then I will see you tomorrow at the city gate.'

And the first man who entered was Nasruddin on his donkey. And the king asked 'Nasruddin, where are you going?'
He said 'To the gallows.'

Now he created a problem. If you send him to the gallows he has asserted truth, and a true man has been killed. If you don't send him to the gallows then he has asserted a lie, but you.... Now what to do?

And Nasruddin said 'I am here, Sir. Now do whatsoever you want. I am going to the gallows!'
The king bowed down. He said 'You are true. Life is so vast, logic cannot contain it.'
—

Don't be afraid. Become a fool, and a totally new kind of wisdom will arise out of it that comes only to fools.

Logic in itself is not very logical, reason alone is not very reasonable. Reason must have some space for irreason, and logic must have some space for love. And your seriousness must be coloured by playfulness. Then you have your total being. Then you are dark and light and summer and winter, life and death. That totality brings joy.