04-11-2014, 02:40 PM
"The elephant and the six blind men. I still don't reall get it"
Isn't the sufi tale told by " nasrudin"?
If it is, it should be four men, although I guess they could be six. The blind men represent the major religions, generally Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. The elephant is God. They each feel a part of God, but none understand the whole of God. This is how I heard it.
There was this king, who had heard there was this strange creature called an elephant which was part of a circus, and was currently in the adjoining kingdom. Eventually, the circus would get to the Kings palace, and the king did not want to appear ignorant in front of his people, because he did not know what an elephant was. He sent four spies to go find out what this elephant creature was. However, they could not let themselves be seen, or people would figure out the truth. The spies, under the cover of night, had to sneak into the tent of the elephant, and feel it to figure out what it was because there would be no light. After a time, they snuck out of the tent and headed back to tell the king what they had found. The first spy, who had felt the trunk said, "Your Majesty, this creature must be a snake of some kind, as it wrapped around me and nearly crushed me to death. The second spy who had felt the ears said, "What I felt seemed like the leaf of a huge plant, not an animal at all. The third man who had felt of it's side said, "I do not know whether it is alive or not, but it seemed to be a large warm boulder. The fourth man who had gotten the tail said,"As far as I could tell it was alive, but it seemed as though it was a living rope or whip. Before too long the men fell into fighting, and unlike Hamlet, the King lived (whereas in Hamlet the King dies twice) but all four spies died. This suited the king just fine as he would not have to pay them, and they gave him no information. Of course, he still did not know what an elephant was.
Dale
Isn't the sufi tale told by " nasrudin"?
If it is, it should be four men, although I guess they could be six. The blind men represent the major religions, generally Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. The elephant is God. They each feel a part of God, but none understand the whole of God. This is how I heard it.
There was this king, who had heard there was this strange creature called an elephant which was part of a circus, and was currently in the adjoining kingdom. Eventually, the circus would get to the Kings palace, and the king did not want to appear ignorant in front of his people, because he did not know what an elephant was. He sent four spies to go find out what this elephant creature was. However, they could not let themselves be seen, or people would figure out the truth. The spies, under the cover of night, had to sneak into the tent of the elephant, and feel it to figure out what it was because there would be no light. After a time, they snuck out of the tent and headed back to tell the king what they had found. The first spy, who had felt the trunk said, "Your Majesty, this creature must be a snake of some kind, as it wrapped around me and nearly crushed me to death. The second spy who had felt the ears said, "What I felt seemed like the leaf of a huge plant, not an animal at all. The third man who had felt of it's side said, "I do not know whether it is alive or not, but it seemed to be a large warm boulder. The fourth man who had gotten the tail said,"As far as I could tell it was alive, but it seemed as though it was a living rope or whip. Before too long the men fell into fighting, and unlike Hamlet, the King lived (whereas in Hamlet the King dies twice) but all four spies died. This suited the king just fine as he would not have to pay them, and they gave him no information. Of course, he still did not know what an elephant was.
Dale
How long after picking up the brush, the first masterpiece?
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
