Blind men and the elephant

You know the story. A king invites ten blindfolded men into his courtyard where an elephant stands. Each one feels a part of the animal’s bulk and describes what they have found.

Defending our faith Chris Sinkinson

One grasps the tail and thinks it’s a snake. Another strokes the hide and describes a wall. Still another touches a tusk and believes it is a spear. Poor elephant! The story is a parable originating from Buddhist traditions. It is used to provide an analogy for the world religions. Religious people describe God as Allah, or Brahman or Christ, but that just reflects their limited point of view. Like the misunderstood elephant in the parable, the God behind the world religions is misdescribed by his sincere devotees.