The king said: ‘Venerable Nāgasena, how many kinds of wisdom are there?’

‘Seven, O king.’

‘And by how many kinds of Wisdom does one become wise?’

‘By one: that is to say by the kind of wisdom called “the investigation of the Truth.”’

‘Then why is it said there are seven?’

‘Tell me, O king. Suppose a sword were lying in its sheath and not taken in the hand, could it cut off anything you wanted to cut off with it?’

‘Certainly not.’

‘Just so, great king, by the other kinds of wisdom can nothing be understood without investigation of the Truth.’

‘Very good, Nāgasena!’