Troubling

I heard a debate recently that troubled me, several people I know that have learned some of the advanced arts of meditation have been trying to munch on a quote they pulled up while delving. "Better for a world to die than the unenlightened learn to read." meaning that if someone reached some form of understanding about the nature of the universe out of order they were most likely to create vicious cycles of destruction in their world that would leave it corrupted, possibly for all time.

Any opinions out there? or is this just prattle from a time of caste systems and extreme knowledge hording?

Addendum
I suppose i should add in context I read CosmoDaddy's blog and was curious about the man Allister that is helping to teach him to meditate and relax.