The Parable of The Elephant-te
The Parable of The Elephant
There was a mighty white elephant with a strong trunk and long tusks, trained by a good master. This elephant, led by his trainer, came to the land of the blind. News spread far and wide that an elephant had come to this land. So the wise men and teachers of the land of the blind came up to the elephant and began to investigate him.
And when the elephant was gone, they met and discussed about the animal. There were some who said he was like a great thick snake; they had touched and felt the elephant’s trunk. Others said he was like a snake of medium size, they had felt the tail. Further, there were some who claimed that his figure was like a high column, others declared he was large and bulky like a big barrel, still others maintained he was smooth and hard but tapering. Some of the blind had taken hold of one of the legs, others had reached the main body, and still others had touched the tusks.
In the end they abused and scolded one another over their disagreements. Every one of these blind men was honest in his contentions. The elephant trainer knew that every one of them was is right in his way, but wrong in believing his outlook to be the whole truth.
Similarly people belonging to different religions/faiths describe God, the way they understand. The truth is that all religions/faiths lead us to God though each of them prescribe different routes/paths.
[Adapted from “The Parable of the Elephant.” Parables of Buddha. The Gold Scales. Ed. Tormod Kinnes. Web. 29 May 2010. http://oaks.nvg.org.]
“All religions, all faiths are but phases or facets of the same Universal Faith and Discipline…. It is like the story where seven blind men who examined the elephant and described it to others….This story has a deep inner meaning. The Atma (spirit) is one, but, each one sees a fraction of it and judges it differently, while it is the integrated sum of each of these facets that constitute Reality.
[Illustrations by Mst. A.Jeyanth
(Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Student) &
Digitized by Ms.Saipavitraa
(Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Alumni) ]
[Source: “Sathya Sai Speaks” – Vol. VI, Chapter-44]