Followers of Various Other Religions (1st) · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Atha kho, bhikkhave, so puriso jaccandhānaṁ hatthiṁ dassetvā yena so rājā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ rājānaṁ etadavoca: ‘diṭṭho kho tehi, deva, jaccandhehi hatthī; yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī’ti.
Then he approached the king and said, ‘Your Majesty, the blind people have been shown the elephant. Please go at your convenience.’
Atha kho, bhikkhave, so rājā yena te jaccandhā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te jaccandhe etadavoca: ‘diṭṭho vo, jaccandhā, hatthī’ti? ‘Evaṁ, deva, diṭṭho no hatthī’ti. ‘Vadetha, jaccandhā, kīdiso hatthī’ti?
Then the king went up to the blind people and said, ‘Have you seen the elephant?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we have been shown the elephant.’ ‘Then tell us, what kind of thing is an elephant?’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa sīsaṁ diṭṭhaṁ ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi kumbho’ti.
The blind people who had been shown the elephant’s head said, ‘Your Majesty, an elephant is like a pot.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa kaṇṇo diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi suppo’ti.
Those who had been shown the ear said, ‘An elephant is like a winnowing fan.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa danto diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi khīlo’ti.
Those who had been shown the tusk said, ‘An elephant is like a ploughshare.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa soṇḍo diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi naṅgalīsā’ti.
Those who had been shown the trunk said, ‘An elephant is like a draft-pole.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa kāyo diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi koṭṭho’ti.
Those who had been shown the flank said, ‘An elephant is like a storehouse.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa pādo diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi thūṇo’ti.
Those who had been shown the leg said, ‘An elephant is like a pillar.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa satthi diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi udukkhalo’ti.
Those who had been shown the thigh said, ‘An elephant is like a mortar.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa naṅguṭṭhaṁ diṭṭhaṁ ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi musalo’ti.
Those who had been shown the tail said, ‘An elephant is like a pestle.’
Yehi, bhikkhave, jaccandhehi hatthissa vāladhi diṭṭho ahosi, te evamāhaṁsu: ‘ediso, deva, hatthī seyyathāpi sammajjanī’ti.
Those who had been shown the tip of the tail said, ‘An elephant is like a broom.’
Te ‘ediso hatthī, nediso hatthī; nediso hatthī, ediso hatthī’ti aññamaññaṁ muṭṭhīhi saṁsumbhiṁsu. Tena ca pana, bhikkhave, so rājā attamano ahosi.
Saying, ‘Such is an elephant, not such! Such is not an elephant, such is!’ they punched each other with their fists. At that, the king was pleased.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā andhā acakkhukā. Te atthaṁ na jānanti anatthaṁ na jānanti, dhammaṁ na jānanti adhammaṁ na jānanti. Te atthaṁ ajānantā anatthaṁ ajānantā, dhammaṁ ajānantā adhammaṁ ajānantā bhaṇḍanajātā kalahajātā vivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ mukhasattīhi vitudantā viharanti: ‘ediso dhammo, nediso dhammo; nediso dhammo, ediso dhammo’”ti.
In the same way, mendicants, the wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless. They don’t understand what is beneficial or what is not beneficial, nor what is the truth and what is not the truth. That’s why they are fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words. ‘Such is Truth, such is not! Such is not Truth, such is!’”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Imesu kira sajjanti, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā; Viggayha naṁ vivadanti, janā ekaṅgadassino”ti. Catutthaṁ.
“Some ascetics and brahmins, it seems, cling to these things. Arguing, they dispute, the folk who see just one part.”
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