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The 8th Blind Man
The ancient Hindus told a story of seven wise men, blind from birth, who encountered an elephant for the first time. Because of their inability to perceive the huge beast using only the sense of touch, each man conceived of the elephant from his own limited perspective ... The blind man who touched the tail imagined the elephant to be like a rope; the blind man who touched the ear imagined the elephant to be like a large fan; and so forth. And, having grown attached to their unique perspectives, each man became agitated when the other blind men refused to conceive of the beast in the same way. How could they be so blind?
Over the centuries, somehow forgotten was the story of an eighth blind man who was there that day.
The eighth blind man was not as smart or persistent as his colleagues, but he started the day with just as much excitement and enthusiasm as the others. In the morning he wrote respectable, but unimportant scientific papers with titles such as "Skin twitch response following electric shock is amplified by kicking" and "Wrinkle density varies logarithmically as a function of height above ground". Later in the day, he turned to philosophy, writing an uninspired and widely unread treatise on the question: "How many elephants can dance on the head of a pin?". By evening, he had turned to ineffective elesystem conservation ("Smooth afternoon: Saving the few remaining leg hairs"), wrong-headed religion ("Conversations with Elephant: Climbing the Tail to Heaven"), and unpopular fiction ("The Eighth Blind Man").
Meanwhile, his colleagues grew more agitated as the day passed, becoming more strident in their theories and beliefs, creating disharmony and even violence. Scientists argued over the age of the elephant. Theologians fought over whether the elephant was a god, a descendant of god, or merely a saintly creature. The furious Republican Islamic Economist rained punches on the Socialist Buddhist Philosopher, who spoke sacrilege by suggesting that the elephant was an illusion. The Activist New Age Theologian was threatening to launch a holy war of protest against the Liberal Christian Businessman, who had begun to sell tickets for five minute simulated elephant sensory experiences to blind eletourists.
In contrast to his colleagues, the eighth blind man had grown weary as the day wore on. Leaning against the side of the elephant, listening to the deep thrumming beat within, stroking elephant's skin for simple tactile sensation, he looked back over his accomplishments of the day with sadness and a vague sense of emptiness. Perhaps elephant was responding to the quietness of the man and gentleness of his touch. Or perhaps elephant was a wise and perceptive creature who sensed how this particular blind man was different from the others. Regardless of the reason, elephant dropped down on one knee, reached back with his (or is elephant a her?) trunk, and pushed, lifted, and urged the eighth blind man, raising him up, guiding him on, forcing him to climb. Without time to think, the eighth blind man stumbled onto the knee, stepped onto the tusk, and pulled himself up by tugging on the ear. He ungracefully flopped across the elephant's neck, frightened by the strangeness and newness of the experience.
But after a moment he sat up, straddling the neck, and began to sense differences. The clamor from his colleagues was more distant, so that he could now hear birds singing and leaves rustling. Away from the stench of the street, he could smell the fragrance of flowers from a nearby tree. Up high, he could feel a cool breeze. From this new perspective, he began to believe that an elephant must be like heaven itself.
After a while, elephant grew restless. Perhaps elephant had simply grown tired of all the yelling, poking and prodding. Or, perhaps elephant was hungry and wanted to find grass. Or, maybe elephant was late for an appointment somewhere else. We will never know, but for whatever reason elephant began to walk down the street. Oh my elephant, cries and wails of despair arose from the clinging blind men below: "Oh elephant, why dost thou forsake me", "I told you elephant was an illusion", and "Make your peace with elephant, for the end is near".
As the other blind wise men were left behind, there was one more loud wail filled with pain, protest, and despair beneath elephant's feet. Then, peace replaced the fading clamor.
Over the following days, the eighth blind man realized that the elephant was not like heaven. He experienced chilling rains, baking suns, scratching thorns, and the cries of people suffering. But he also received water to drink when it rained, warmth from the morning sun, heard songs of joy, and occasionally a piece of ripe fruit fell into his lap as the elephant brushed by a fruit tree. Over time, the rocking of the elephant's walk and the rhythm of experience brought a feeling of calmness and serenity to the eighth blind man.
He eventually came to understand that the elephant is like a boat on a sea of myriad sensations, timeless and constantly changing, under a sky of infinite possibilities.
Thanks to those who, by their example, their teachings, or their encouragement, are helping me to ride the elephant instead of trying to define what it is:
Skip Hancock, Sparrow Hart, Goenkaji, Hamilton Souther, Ann Hollier, and Riannon Delanoy
The Ninth Blind Man
For the record, there was one more blind man that was destined to encounter the elephant that day. This blind man, whose story had been told by Buddha centuries ago, was full of cravings and aversions. He spent his days gaining great wealth and accumulating many material possessions. He married a desirable and attractive woman. He gained power, with the esteem and respect of others. However, the more he acquired, the more he worried about losing it all. Eventually, his suspicions of his wife's infidelity made her life miserable as well. His worries about losing his wealth led him to make bad investments. The people who once admired him became alienated by his stinginess. That day, his wife left him, his wealth was stolen, and his neighbors held him in contempt.
In his misery and with nowhere to go, he wandered around, seeking comfort, until he found a patch of smooth ground that had been warmed by the sun. He lay down and lamented his fate, knowing that things could not possibly get any worse.
Sadly, he was wrong, for he had laid down on a road, a few hundred feet away from a group of blind scientists, theologians, and philosophers who were yammering about an elephant.
In a few moments, he acquired the alternative perspective that elephant was like an unbearable weight.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Dick Delanoy
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