A Buddhist parable that I believe in is about an elephant and a group of blind men.
It goes like this – These blind men had never come across an animal like elephant in their lives. They were asked to touch one part of the elephant and describe to others what they felt. When they started describing in the group, every one had a different interpretation. They were convinced that the other person was dishonest and they started started fighting.
The parable shows that humans believe what they know as the truth. Their truth is based on their limited knowledge or experience. And to them, that’s the truth. The only truth. Most times the truth is far from what they know.
What are your thoughts?
Getting back to Microblog Mondays and linking up with Mel on her edition #281
happiness and food 
True that!
It’s for us to delve deeper into the actual truth and find out what’s the reality. But at the same time, my interpretation of something or my truth might be so different from another’s. What do you think Parul?
Much love for a marvy new week! ❤
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Totally agree. We all see it differently most of the times.
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I remember this story. It is true the what hams can’t understand, they think is a lie. It’s very hard to change a person’s perspective. Which I believe has lead to so much distrust and chaos in current world.
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Ask me about the current scenario. So much to comprehend and so little information about what things really mean.
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I’ve heard the story before but the visual is so beautiful!
There are many interpretations and perspectives and then there’s the truth – that it is an elephant! Sometimes the truth is the most obvious choice, but we hide behind our fears, experiences, biases and waste time holding on to our beliefs.
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I couldn’t agree on that. We choose to not choose the truth.
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I remember this story! It’s an interesting observation on how we all believe our version of the truth, and also how team work, trust and collaboration can actually help us to arrive at the truth.
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Right! I think openness to other views lead to collaboration and understanding.
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As long as you know your version of the truth and are open to the fact that others can still have their own versions of it, it is fine in my opinion. Just not worth fighting over. Obviously, one needs to have reached a certain frame of mind with acceptance in-order to get there.
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True that!
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I did hear this one before!
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Yeah, it’s a well known one.
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Oh yes, this one is great. Just today I had an example of where two people upset each other because they couldn’t recognise each other’s truths.
And I love the illustration too!
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Thanks Mali! See how these things play out in day to day situations.
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I remember this story from my childhood but now I can see how very true it is. Rather than listen to the other point of view people are only too ready to push forward their’s as the only correct one. That’s a sad state of affairs.
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Couldn’t agree more. This is usually what happens.
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Absolutely, everyone has a different truth. Problem is that we fail to accept others truth.
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Right! Agree to that.
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We use this story in our training sessions. And it has such an important meaning. We believe something to be true, based on on our personal experiences, and seldom see the complete picture before coming to a conclusion.
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Yes! You are right Shilpa.
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Everyone’s truth is different. And truth is bigger than the sum of it’s parts , so what each of us believes is just our little version. I wonder if we will ever be able to see the whole truth? And if we do, will we like it?
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I remember this story and keep telling my kid again and again
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I live in my world of perceptions for I have often felt truth is hard and stark. I like to form my own perceptions based on what I see/hear/experience and then analyse the same to decide whether its for me or not.
Truth never changes as its a very cold and hard fact- its the perception that changed from person to person and even to event.
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