Good reason to have religious tolerance?

Question

Old Buddhist parable:

4 men were looking at at elephant while blindfolded, were asked to describe what they were experiencing.

The first man said "this is a snake like creature- it is long and thin and tubelike

The second said, "no, this creature is like a broom- with a handle, and a brush at the bottom"

The third said "no, this creature is like a tree trunk- thick and firm and circular"

The fourth says "no, you are all wrong, this creature is like paper, broad and thin and flexible."

The men's blindfolds are taken off, and they realize, they were all right, but they had each only experienced part of the elephant- the trunk, the tail, a leg, and an ear. Because the elephant was so big, they could not experience it all at once, and felt only what was close to them, but they were all experiencing the same thing.


Do you feel this is a good analogy for God? Why or why not?

Answer 1

I think it is a great analogy. while we each see him in part, we all have a different idea of what we see, just as we are all different, and yet the same in our own ways, God let us see Him, on a personal level. each different.

Answer 2

It's a bit better in poem form:

One day, the King heard stories about the discovery of a new animal called the elephant. Curious about this strange new beast, he sent six wise men to investigate. Unfortunately, all six men are blind.

The first men approached the elephant and ran into its side.
“Ha” he said, “The elephant is like a wall”.

The second men, feeling the tusk, cried out “So very smooth and sharp. This elephant is like a spear.”

The third men approached the animal and took the squirming trunk within his hands. “I see,” he said, “An elephant is very much like a snake!”

The fourth men felled down and touched the elephant’s knee. He says, “It’s obvious that an elephant is very much like a tree”.

The fifth men, fondling an ear, cried out “You are all wrong, an elephant is shaped like a fan!”

The sixth men reached out and grabbed the tail. “Hmmm” he says, “The elephant is very much like a rope.”

And so these wise men argued into the night. Each resolute that his belief is the only correct one. Although each was partly right, they were all in the wrong.

Answer 3

I like your analogy in many ways. But apply this analogy to a situation involving four men debating the shape of the earth (many years ago). One says it is flat, another round (or nearest equivalent), another pentagonal, and another thinks it is none of those but merely extends infinitely. Now say a fifth man comes and tells them the parable of the elephant and leads them to believe the earth is too big for anyone to really see it in its fullness and that therefore the likely conclusion is that they are all correct and that the true shape of the earth is a combining of all their ideas. You can see from this example how easily the meaning of this parable can break down in a real world situation. It holds great truth and wisdom, but let us be careful with the scope of the conclusion we draw from it. God has made himself known to us, but there are many counterfeits. Not all paths lead to God. There is only one who truly has the power to remove our blindfolds so as to enable us to overcome our blindness to God: Christ.

God Bless.

Answer 4

good analogy ,most people have small minds, and don't think past eat,sleep, sex, and sports.to see the many truths,
you have to be open minded,, but not to the point of any thing gos.

the problem is that the [trunk people] say that their way is the only way.

and the[ tail people ]say ther way is the only way. and start fighting

if they would take of there blind folds and love the entire elephant. they would be much better off.

Answer 5

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water.
The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.
Although its light is wide and great,
The moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide.
The whole moon and the entire sky
Are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.
Dogen

Answer 6

The elephant unlike God can not tell you about itself, whereas God gives us plenty of information if you take the time to study it, and yes, there is only one true religion to follow and Jesus gave the information to know which one.

Answer 7

I know I'm looking at an elephant from the smells of manure and cotton candy. ;) There's definitely something mystical about our existence, though...

Did I tell you I've been trying the thing where you stare at a candle to meditate? I really like it.

Answer 8

You Go HappyKid!! Wonderful analogy!
Life is a journey and we all experience similar paths in different ways!

Answer 9

Well if you put the guys in an empty room and told them that there was an animal there and they tried to describe it without touching it, it would be right on.

Answer 10

I absolutely love it. Thanks for posting such a message of tolerance and peace especially at a time in history where peace and acceptance seem to be in such shortage. I've seen a lot of venom spewed here, it's a nice change to see a question meant to spread kindness and understanding. ;o)