Elephants

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

This was sent to me by another list, its an old story - but the twist at the

end

I found relevant.

 

Best wishes to All!

Jai Ma,

Love Parvati

 

 

 

Elephant by Runi

 

 

Elephant in the Dark

 

Some Hindus have an elephant to show.

No one here has ever seen an elephant.

They bring it at night to a dark room.

 

One by one, we go in the dark and come out

saying how we experience the animal.

 

One of us happens to touch the trunk.

"A water-pipe kind of creature."

 

Another, the ear: "A very strong, always moving

back and forth, fan-animal."

 

Another, the leg. "I find it still,

like a column on a temple."

 

Another touches the curved back:

"A leathery throne."

 

Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk.

"A rounded sword made of porcelain."

He's proud of his description.

 

Each of us touches one place

and understand the whole in that way.

 

The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark are

how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.

 

If each of us held a candle there,

and if we went in together,

we could see it.