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Reminds me of the book Ecclesiastes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes

"While Qoheleth clearly endorses wisdom as a means for a well-lived earthly life, he is unable to ascribe eternal meaning to it. In light of this perceived senselessness, he suggests that one should enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment in one's work, which are gifts from the hand of God."

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Why? That seems to be making a very different point (and not a very valuable one, in my opinion).

Gaining knowledge (or wisdom if you like) can be "vain" if you forget to live ;)

Imho that is a very valuable lesson.

It doesn't say that, though -- he perceives "wisdom" as senselessness and something with no "eternal meaning", in contrast to the simple pleasures of daily life, which (apparently unlike wisdom) have supernatural approval and eternal value.

That's not helpful. True wisdom doesn't ignore physical reality. It doesn't deny basic pleasures; it illuminates them. And it's the only way to find sense in the world -- directly, not just mouthing the words provided by a human authority.

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