[138] "Bhikkhus, once in the past, in this very Sāvatthī there was a certain king. Then, bhikkhus, that king addressed a certain man: 'Come, my good man: as many men blind from birth as there are in Sāvatthī — gather them all together in one place.' 'Yes, sire,' bhikkhus, that man replied to the king; and having taken all the men blind from birth that there were in Sāvatthī, he approached the king, and having approached, he said to the king: 'Sire, the men blind from birth in Sāvatthī, as many as there are, have been gathered together.' 'Well then, my man, show the blind men an elephant.' 'Yes, sire,' bhikkhus, that man replied to the king, and he showed the blind men an elephant. To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's head: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some he showed the elephant's ear: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's tusk: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's trunk: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's body: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some he showed the elephant's foot: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's back: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the elephant's tail: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.' To some of the blind men he showed the tuft of the elephant's tail: 'Blind men, such is an elephant.'
"Then, bhikkhus, that man, having shown the blind men the elephant, approached the king, and having approached, he said to the king: 'Sire, the elephant has been seen by those blind men. Now may Your Majesty do what you think it is time to do.'
"Then, bhikkhus, the king approached those blind men, and having approached, he said to them: 'Blind men, have you seen the elephant?' 'Yes, sire.' 'You say, "We have seen the elephant." Tell me, blind men: what is an elephant like?'
"Bhikkhus, those blind men by whom the elephant's head had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a water jar.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's ear had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a winnowing basket.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's tusk had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a ploughshare.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's trunk had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a plough-pole.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's body had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a granary.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's foot had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a post.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's back had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a mortar.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the elephant's tail had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a pestle.' Those blind men, bhikkhus, by whom the tuft of the elephant's tail had been seen said: 'Sire, an elephant is like this: just like a broom.'
"Saying, 'An elephant is like this; an elephant is not like that. An elephant is not like that; an elephant is like this,' they came to blows with one another with their fists. And at that, bhikkhus, the king was delighted.
"Even so, bhikkhus, the wanderers of other sects (aññatitthiyā paribbājakā) are blind, without eyes: they do not know what is beneficial (attha), they do not know what is harmful (anattha); they do not know what is Dhamma, they do not know what is not Dhamma. Not knowing what is beneficial, not knowing what is harmful, not knowing what is Dhamma, not knowing what is not Dhamma, they dwell given to quarrels, given to strife, fallen into disputes, stabbing one another with verbal daggers: 'The Dhamma is like this; the Dhamma is not like that. The Dhamma is not like that; the Dhamma is like this.'"
Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance (udāna):
"To these [views], it seems, some ascetics and brahmins cling;
having seized upon it, they dispute —
people who see only one part."
The fourth [sutta].
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.