Quote by Tierno Bokar: “There are three kinds of knowledge: knowledge from reading, knowledge from hearing, and knowledge from seeing.”

This quote breaks down how we acquire understanding, noting that learning isn't just from books. It teaches that genuine knowledge comes from both formal study, listening to others, and direct personal experience, encouraging a holistic approach to wisdom.

In early 20th century Mali, Bokar was a revered Sufi master, teaching complex spiritual and practical wisdom through oral tradition in his community, emphasizing different modes of understanding the world.

Malian Sufi mystic and Islamic scholar known as 'the sage of Bandiagara,' whose teachings blended Sufi Islam with West African spiritual wisdom. He became widely known outside West Africa through Amadou Hampâté Bâ's 1980 biography Vie et enseignement de Tierno Bokar, which preserved his oral teachings.