MORAL STORIES

SIX BLIND MEN

Six blind men were good friends. They used to stay and move together. They heard that an elephant was being brought to the temple nearby. They wanted to understand the appearance of the elephant. So they went to the temple and with the permission of the mahout, approached the elephant from different sides. One caught hold of its leg and declared that the elephant resembles a pillar. The second man felt the tail and said that the elephant was like a broom. The third reached its ear and told that it was like a wide sheet. The fourth caught the trunk and declared that it was like the bark of a tree. The fifth friend studied the horn and stated that the elephant was like a spear. The sixth man touched the elephant’s belly and explained that the animal was like a rock.

The friends quarrelled with each other as each had a different opinion about the form of an elephant. Seeing this, the mahout consoled them. He said, “All of you are correct. The elephant has all these parts. None of you could see it in full. That was the trouble.”

When we make comments without learning all aspects of a situation, we are likely to go wrong. We must reach a conclusion only after detailed study. We should not blame others on seeing minor faults.Their experience and vision may be limited. God is the best judge.

The Holy Bible teaches, “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you.”{Luke 6:37}.

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By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India.

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