|
The story of the Six Blind Men and the Elephant goes as such:
The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe.
A wise man explains to them
All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features you mentioned.
Shihan Henderson's Comment:
Isn't it true that in our martial arts training we all fall into the same trap that the six blind men find themselves in. Even when studying diligently we tend to think that we know what constitutes martial arts yet are we not touching only the trunck, the leg, the ear, the tusk, etc. of the larger study. When we think we know it all, or know the nature of the study we would do well to keep the parable of the Six Blind Men in mind.
My wish for all the students of The Institute is to remain humble in their studies and to keep in mind that no matter what they study they are perceiving only a part of the "true" picture. Moreover, I hope that all students will remain humble in their dealings with others keeping in mind that when observing other people's lives they are seeing only a partial view and that compassion for others is always called for.
|
Home 
Zen 
