Can You Describe An Elephant?

The individual touches the belly of the elephant to describe it as a wall. This suggests that the individual perceives the elephant as a solid and immovable object, similar to a wall.

The person who touches the tail of the elephant describes it as "like a rope" because they only have a limited perspective and are unable to see the entire elephant. The tail, being long and flexible, may feel similar to a rope when touched. However, this description does not capture the full essence of the elephant as a whole.

The person who touches the trunk of the elephant describes it as a tree branch because they are only able to feel a long, cylindrical shape similar to a branch. They are unable to perceive the entire body of the elephant and therefore mistake the trunk for a tree branch.

The person who feels the ear describes the elephant as a hand fan because when they touch the ear, they perceive its shape, size, and texture, which may resemble a hand fan.

The person who touches the tusk describes the elephant as a solid pipe because they can feel the hard and cylindrical shape of the tusk, similar to a pipe.

In the Jain version, there are six blind men.

To describe the elephant as a pillar, one would touch the leg. The leg of an elephant is sturdy and solid, similar to a pillar. It provides support and stability to the massive body of the elephant, just like a pillar does.

The Buddha uses the simile of blind men led astray twice. This simile is used to illustrate how people can be misled and misguided in their search for truth and enlightenment. It emphasizes the importance of relying on one's own direct experience and understanding rather than blindly following others. By using this simile twice, the Buddha emphasizes the significance of this lesson and reinforces the idea that individuals must be cautious and discerning in their spiritual journey.

In the Jain version, the king explains the puzzling discovery of the blind men to them. This suggests that the king has knowledge and understanding of the situation, and is able to provide an explanation to the blind men. The king's role in explaining the discovery implies that he holds authority and wisdom, making him a suitable figure to provide guidance and understanding to the blind men.

In the Udana, the Buddha uses the elephant parable to describe sectarian quarrels. The Udana is a collection of teachings and discourses attributed to the Buddha, and it contains various parables and stories that illustrate his teachings. The elephant parable is a famous story in which the Buddha compares sectarian quarrels to a group of blind men arguing about the nature of an elephant. Just as the blind men have different perceptions of the elephant based on the part they touch, sectarian quarrels arise from people clinging to their own limited perspectives and beliefs.