Once, a king ordered all the blind men in his city to be brought before him, along with a large, tame elephant. The king asked the blind men to step forward and touch the elephant, and then tell him what an elephant is like.

The first man touched the elephant’s side. “An elephant is like a massive, rough wall,” he declared.

The second man felt the elephant’s tusk. “No, you are wrong! An elephant is smooth and sharp, like a spear.”

The third man grasped the trunk. “You are both fools,” he laughed. “An elephant is clearly like a thick, muscular snake.”

The fourth man reached out and touched one of the elephant’s legs. “It is like a sturdy tree trunk,” he insisted.

The fifth man felt the elephant’s ear. “It is like a large, leathery fan,” he said.

The sixth man grabbed the tail. “You are all completely mistaken! An elephant is nothing more than a frayed piece of rope.”

Soon, the men were shouting at each other, each absolutely certain that his experience was the whole truth, and that the others were lying.

The king smiled and said, “You are all right, and you are all wrong. Each of you has touched only one part of the elephant. The elephant has all the features you described. You are fighting because each of you believes that your small piece of truth is the entire truth.”

The Lesson

In our lives, our perception of reality is limited by our individual experiences. When we encounter people with different viewpoints, it is easy to assume they are wrong. This story reminds us to remain humble and realize that our perspective is just one part of a much larger, complex truth.

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नेपाली अनुवाद

एकपटक, एक राजाले आफ्नो सहरका सबै अन्धा मानिसहरूलाई एउटा ठूलो, घरपालुवा हात्तीको साथ आफू अगाडि ल्याउन आदेश दिए। राजाले अन्धा मानिसहरूलाई अगाडि बढेर हात्तीलाई छुन, र त्यसपछि हात्ती कस्तो हुन्छ भनेर बताउन भने।

पहिलो मानिसले हात्तीको छेउ (पेट) छोयो। “हात्ती एउटा विशाल, खस्रो पर्खाल जस्तै हुन्छ,” उसले घोषणा गर्यो।

दोस्रो मानिसले हात्तीको दाह्रा छाम्यो। “होइन, तिमी गलत छौ! हात्ती एउटा भाला जस्तै चिल्लो र धारिलो हुन्छ।”

तेस्रो मानिसले सुँढ समात्यो। “तिमीहरू दुवै मूर्ख हौ,” ऊ हाँस्यो। “हात्ती स्पष्ट रूपमा एउटा बाक्लो, मांसपेशीयुक्त सर्प जस्तै हुन्छ।”

चौथो मानिसले हात्तीको एउटा खुट्टा छोयो। “यो एउटा बलियो रूखको मुढा जस्तै हुन्छ,” उसले जिद्दी गर्यो।

पाँचौं मानिसले हात्तीको कान छाम्यो। “यो एउटा ठूलो, छालाको पंखा जस्तै हुन्छ,” उसले भन्यो।

छैटौं मानिसले पुच्छर समात्यो। “तिमीहरू सबै पूर्ण रूपमा गलत छौ! हात्ती एउटा पुरानो डोरीको टुक्राबाहेक अरू केही होइन।”

चाँडै नै, ती मानिसहरू एकअर्कामाथि कराउन थाले, प्रत्येक पूर्ण रूपमा निश्चित थियो कि उसको अनुभव नै सम्पूर्ण सत्य हो, र अरूहरू झूट बोलिरहेका छन्।

राजा मुस्कुराए र भने, “तिमीहरू सबै सही छौ, र तिमीहरू सबै गलत छौ। तिमीहरू प्रत्येकले हात्तीको एउटा भाग मात्र छोएका छौ। हात्तीमा तिमीहरूले वर्णन गरेका सबै सुविधाहरू छन्। तिमीहरू झगडा गरिरहेका छौ किनभने तिमीहरू प्रत्येकलाई लाग्छ कि तिम्रो सत्यको सानो अंश नै सम्पूर्ण सत्य हो।”

शिक्षा

हाम्रो जीवनमा, वास्तविकताप्रतिको हाम्रो धारणा हाम्रो व्यक्तिगत अनुभवहरूद्वारा सीमित छ। जब हामी फरक दृष्टिकोण भएका मानिसहरूलाई भेट्छौं, तिनीहरू गलत छन् भनेर मान्न सजिलो हुन्छ। यो कथाले हामीलाई नम्र रहन र हाम्रो दृष्टिकोण धेरै ठूलो, जटिल सत्यको एउटा अंश मात्र हो भनेर महसुस गर्न सम्झाउँछ।