The palm which covers the beast

October 2019 edition

The palm which covers the beast

Article summary

In our previous editorial we discuss a sutta which had a story about an elephant and few blind men. When those blind men asked to described the elephant, they came up with something unrelated for the look of an elephant. So, in here let’s get in to the point!

This whole story is related to many incidents in the present days.  Many argue over many things by saying it’s just like this, and not like that etc… whether it is dhamma or whether it is about religions or whether it is about science or whether it is about politics or whether it is about simple facts of life, etc…, many of us just love to argue over anything just from our point of view.

But what we all miss hear is that our point of view is like, just the palm which covers the beast and palm has not the means of covering the whole of the beast.

Like those blind men we argue with our point of view which feels so right at the moment.  But it is correct according the way we believe it.  And the beautiful point which is hidden in this whole story which I like the most is, just imagine those blind men stopped argues and come to a settlement of connecting all of their views together. 

Imagine if the blind men listen to each other’s words and create the elephant with what they heard… will they ever able to imagine the correct form of the elephant?  Well, I don’t think so. 

So; Life is here… happening right now just in front of you my dear human beings… you should know what to do with it rather than arguing over the little matters which palm covers the elephant. 

We should learn to listen to each other rather than raising our own point of view by arguing that mine is the only correct view.  Then we should focus on what we are agreed on as a team.  Like if those blind men listen to each other and create the elephant by what they believe.  As you can see in both occasion we fail. 

So, to sense the whole picture, just listening to some bundle of words is not enough.  In here comes the wisdom.  A proper focus on the correct point to solve the issue. 

What those blind men missing here.  Of course; that they are blind.  As long as they stay blind, they will never able to see the elephant as it is.  So, they should get the sight!

So, think wise… instead of getting the sight we also acting ridiculously to prove that our point of view is the correct one.  And sometimes we listen to each other and come to an assumption that this must be the right one then.  But we just forget mostly all the time that assumptions are the mother of all mess ups! 

So, if you need to get an idea of the whole picture my friends, get the sight first!

Rajitha Viduransi | Kelaniya, Sri Lanka