Little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Four blind men went out to see an elephant . One touched the leg of the elephant and said, " The elephant is like a pillar." The second one touched the trunk and said, " The elephant is like a thick club. " The third touched the belly and said, " The elephant is like a big jar." The fourth touched the ears and said, " The elephant is like a big winnowing basket. " Thus they began to dispute hotly amongst themselves as to the shape of the elephant , each claiming that he alone was right. A passer-by , seeing them thus quarreling, asked, " what is it you are disputing about ?" They told him everything and asked him to arbitrate. The man said , " None of you is right . None of you have seen the elephant. The elephant is not a pillar, its legs are like pillars. It is not a thick club, its trunk is like a club. It is not a big jar, but its belly is like a big jar. It is not like a winnowing basket, its ears are shaped like winnowing basket. The elephant is the combination of all these - legs, trunk, belly , ears and so on. In the same manner, those who quarrel about the nature of God have seen only one aspect of the Deity.
Here the blind man represents the human being who has little knowledge about religion, God or Truth always quarrels with others. He considers others as different. But when one realizes the truth as a whole or as one , he finds harmony everywhere in all religions as all religions are path ways to the ultimate which is one and the same but called by different names for convenience.
Four blind men went out to see an elephant . One touched the leg of the elephant and said, " The elephant is like a pillar." The second one touched the trunk and said, " The elephant is like a thick club. " The third touched the belly and said, " The elephant is like a big jar." The fourth touched the ears and said, " The elephant is like a big winnowing basket. " Thus they began to dispute hotly amongst themselves as to the shape of the elephant , each claiming that he alone was right. A passer-by , seeing them thus quarreling, asked, " what is it you are disputing about ?" They told him everything and asked him to arbitrate. The man said , " None of you is right . None of you have seen the elephant. The elephant is not a pillar, its legs are like pillars. It is not a thick club, its trunk is like a club. It is not a big jar, but its belly is like a big jar. It is not like a winnowing basket, its ears are shaped like winnowing basket. The elephant is the combination of all these - legs, trunk, belly , ears and so on. In the same manner, those who quarrel about the nature of God have seen only one aspect of the Deity.
Here the blind man represents the human being who has little knowledge about religion, God or Truth always quarrels with others. He considers others as different. But when one realizes the truth as a whole or as one , he finds harmony everywhere in all religions as all religions are path ways to the ultimate which is one and the same but called by different names for convenience.
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