A Parable Re-visted: The Blind Men & the Elephant

This is a parable that many of you would know.

Basically, it is cautionary tale of perceptions (and misperceptions). These six blind men touched different parts of the elephant - like the trunk, leg, tail , body, ear and tusk - and all of them formed different images of what the animal looked like.

Each felt that their mental picture was right, and that based on whatever little experience they had, they assumed that only they were right; and the other wrong. Thus, when the six got together, they all could not agree what the elephant looked like; with each believing that only he was right.

I suppose that even in today's context, we still have so many 'blind' men ... who truly feel that only their views are right.
Is that why Mankind can never agree?

I must admit that there is no one in the world who can claim to have the 'total' picture. People have strong views about things, based on our own beliefs, our conditions and our experiences.

But the lesson to be learnt here is, I suppose, to not only feel and think, but also to listen. How much do we really listen to another person's views? Or, in our minds, when we hear ideas and views are are different from ours, we are so ready to defend what we think is right?

What is an absolute truth?
I don't have an answer...but I will keep on searching.
And in the meantime, I hope, I will be able to keep on listening.