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“Indians have a saying that different religions are like blind men trying to describe an elephant.” |
I’m in Varkala, on the southern end of Kerala. Varkala is a pleasant, laid back, little-known backpackers’ heaven. Fellow backpackers say Varkala is what Goa was 30 years ago. The town is small and the beach even smaller. I am not a beach person - I went once and now I look like a cooked lobster. There is nothing to do here, which is just fine as it gives me a chance to think, meditate, and read books.
Indians have a saying that different religions are like blind men trying to describe an elephant. Depending of which part of the elephant the blind man touches, it gets a completely different picture from what other blind men are feeling, none of them ever understanding how the elephant really looks. It is only appropriate that Indians would have such a saying. The number and coexistence of different religions gives them a unique perspective on spirituality.
In Jaipur, I was waking up with morning prayer calls from a mosque. In Deshnok, I saw Hindus worshiping rats. In Jaisalmer, I photographed Jain temples and in Kerala, I was reciting “Our Father” with a church full of Indians. Watching all these people, the natural question arises - are we really so limited in our comprehension of God that we are like the blind men? I have no answers, but it’s good to at least examine these things. India affords you such a chance. Bookstores are full of books on spirituality - in many bookstores it seems that it is the only book section. Gurus, philosophers, ascetics, and other holy men are commonplace here.
I keep reading and thinking. I’ll tell you if I ever reach enlightenment. Meanwhile, I am ready for Calcutta and Mother Teresa’s Home of the Dying Destitutes. I’m going tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted.
previous travel blog entryComments or Questions for the Author
Nirvana says:
The Hindu insists that the blind men were all true at a certain level and, though contradictory, point to a truth that transcends any description at all. But revelation for the Christian brings a certainty of knowledge, even if incomplete. Without revelation perhaps the human race is blindfolded when it comes to knowing God. But, in Christ, the “veil is lifted” (2 Corinthians 3:13) and we are no longer as blind men groping in the dark, but we enjoy the confidence of a trustworthy revelation which yields reliable knowledge about God.
Magda says:
I'm happy you are alive. I hope that Calcutta will help you to realize that you have a lot of things, you should be happy about. I can make a long list, but... I'll let you do it first.