Four Blind Men and An Elephant

March 16, 2022

I stumbled upon this composition early on in my spiritual journey… it resonated so deeply with me that I specifically put it on the very last page of my book for easy access.

WARNING!! I’m gonna venture down that lane of things we’ve been programmed not to talk about. This will be somewhat of a theme amongst the posts on my page. I have given a significant amount of thought to and am confident in my beliefs. If you don’t agree with them, that is totally okay! I respect your right to commune with a higher power as you deem appropriate. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I will speak openly about what I believe to be true. 

The Original Parable

Sri Ramakrishna was a 19th century Hindu saint that is revered for his profound spiritual teachings. He lived a short 50 years but his words echo through the years with the same weight as they did in the days he spoke them.  A quick search will find many versions of this short and sweet parable shared over the years. This original version was published in a series of diaries from M. “a son of the Lord, disciple”  titled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita in the early 1900s. 

A number of blind men came to an elephant. 

Someone told them that it was an elephant. 

The blind men asked, “What is the elephant like?” as they began to touch its body. 

One of them said, “It is like a pillar.” This blind man had only touched its leg. 

Another man said, “The elephant is like a husking basket.” This person had only touched its ears. Similarly, he who touched its trunk or its belly talked of it differently. 

In the same way, he who has seen the Lord in a particular way limits the Lord to that alone and thinks that He is nothing else. 

The Poem Heard ‘Round the World

I have included the version that I first found and added in the book. It provides more detail and the wording is a little different. If you have ever come across Sadhguru’s videos and words of wisdom on YouTube, then maybe you hear the words in his heavily Indian-accented English as you read the story. It makes me smile when I read the part “What is it this  you are arguing about?” Sadhguru is a yoga, mystic, best selling author and poet that is widely considered to be one of India’s most influential people. I enjoy his input on many topics, and recommend you check him out!

Four Blind Men & An Elephant by Sri Ramakrishna, 1916

This is the version I have included in my book.

Source: Sri Ramakrishna’s Teachings, part 1, first edition(Lohaghat P.O., Dt. Almora, Himalayas: 1916), no 398, p. 127

Add Some American Wit

John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) was an upstate New York lawyer. He was also  well-known for his witty poems, and this version of the Elephant parable is an excellent example and is his most popular work to this day! I love the version I added to the book, but I enjoyed this lyrical update so much I had to include it in this post as well!

Live Your Truth

I assume since you are here that you are interested in hearing what I have to say. Or maybe you are interested in judging what I have to say. Either way, I hope you walk away from this page with a more accepting, loving outlook on life. I am proudly and happily living my truth, and leave room for others to live happily in their truth. I sincerely wish you the freedom, courage, and compassion to do the same. 

I believe we are all right, each of us observing our own aspect of Deity. Of course, the aspect we are exposed to is directly or indirectly dependent on our location, culture, upbringing, life events, and a multitude of factors that contribute to our spiritual life. Maybe we should compare notes, so to speak, and learn more before we decide?

The real point is we each are entitled to our own personal beliefs and are responsible not to infringe on that right for others. If anyone tells you that they are the sole source of salvation, or their God is the only one that could possibly be right, of all the cultures, religions, and spiritual affiliations worldwide, I recommend you take some time to examine their actions and motivations before accepting dogma as fact.

Let go of the Ego-driven need to be right. 

Open yourself to the POSSIBILITY that we are all right!

Photo Credit: The Ecletic Mind

My Take On It

I find it worth noting that the irony in his choice of words is genius! He speaks of the men being blind, while hinting that in addition to being unable to see, they are unable to see the elephant in its entirety… that the nature of things unseen cannot be observed with the the eyes alone… He also gently reminds the audience that the observer is responsible when it comes to limiting his or her viewpoint…

The details and wording may have changed over the years, but the message remains the same! None of us are 100% correct, but ALL us are correct in our own right! There have also been many attempts to “debunk” this parable and I find these efforts to be unnecessary and ignorant, to be honest. It reminds me of a middle schooler that doesn’t want to admit the possibility they could be wrong because they immaturely equate the possibility of being wrong with a personal insult, so they respond by attacking the person that is trying to help them. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink!