The Wise Men and the Elephant from Stories the Buddha Told
Written by Ralph Roberts, revision by Nita Penfold and GMF (sourced the Buddhist Canon Udana 68-69)
Spiritual Theme – Humility
Source: Wisdom of the world’s religions
Materials:
 Gold Box
 World Religions symbol
 Underlay (square with cut outs like minarets at the top to look a bit like a palace)
 King crown
 Elephant image or elephant
 5 blind wise man images
 Banana leaf image or banana leaf
 Plow image or toy plow
 Tree or piece of bark
 Snake image or snake
 Paint brush
 Buddha statue
Presentation:
Now, watch carefully where I go to get the story so that later, if you wish to make it your work,
you will be able to find it.
Walk to shelves and take gold box. Come back to circle and place on floor next to you.
Our story today is in a gold box. I wonder what the color gold means?
Long, long ago there was a great teacher who told stories. He was called the Buddha. It means
enlightened one because his stories help us see things more clearly.
Unfold the underlay smoothing out the wrinkles.
Place Buddha figure on upper curve nearest you.
One day the six men who happened to be blind approached the Buddha asking how one could
tell what the truth is. The Buddha replied “ Let me tell you about a king.”
Place the crown to the far left of the underlay so that the right side looks up to the
children.
This king was also very wise and often wondered about the great questions of life. To find out
about truth he had an elephant brought into the throne room.
Place the elephant or the elephant image in the center of the underlay.
The Wise Men and the Elephant from Stories the Buddha Told
Spiritual Theme – Humility
After the elephant was brought to the palace and into the throne room the King gave a second
order: the five wise people who taught at the gates of the city were to be brought to the
throne.
One by one place the five wise people on the right hand side of the underlay, opposite
the king.
Each of the wise men happened to have been born blind. The king asked each wise man to
surround the the elephant’s body. The first wise man was stood next to the elephant’s ear.
Place the first wise man by the elephant’s ear.
The second wise man stood by the elephant’s tail.
Place the second wise man by the elephant’s tail.
The King had the third wise man stand holding the elephant’s tusk.
Place the third wise man so that man is touching the elephant’s tusk.
The king stood the fourth wise man right in front of the elephant holding onto the elephant’s
tusk.
Place the fourth wise man by the elephant’s trunk.
The king then had the fifth and last wise man stand touching one of the elephant’s legs
Place the fifth wise man touching one of the elephant’s legs.
Then the king issued the challenge. “You are each touching what we call an elephant. Please
tell us, now, what an elephant is like.”
Place one hand on the wise man holding the elephant’s ear. With your other hand
remove and hold onto the image of the banana leaf.
The first wise man who was holding one of the elephant’s large ears said, “An elephant is like a
banana leaf.”
Place the banana leaf at the top right side of the under lay. Then place one hand on the
wise man holing the elephant’s tail, and with your other hand remove and hold onto the
image of a paint brush.
The second wise man was holding the elephant’s tail and said, “No. No. No. An elephant is like
a paint brush.”
Place the paint brush on the top right of the underlay beside the the banana leaf. Place
one hand on the wise man touching the elephant’s tusk. With your second hand remove
the image of the plow or the plow and keep it hidden in your hand.
The third wise man was holding onto the elephant’s tusk exclaimed, “They’re all wrong! An
elephant is like a plow made of metal, and sharpened to cut through the earth.”
Place the image of the plow beside the paint brush. Place one hand on the fourth wise
man holding the elephant’s trunk. With your other hand remove and hold onto the the
snake.
The fourth wise man who was in front of the elephant holding its’ trunk said, “Hear my words.
An elephant is like a great snake.”
Place the image of the snake beside that of the plow. Then with one hand touch the
wise man holding the elephant’s leg. With your other hand remove and hold onto the
image of a tree.
The fifth and final wise man who was holding one of the elephant’s legs declared, “I tell you an
elephant is like the trunk of a giant tree.” Before long the five blind wise men began arguing
with each other calling one another “Fool” and “Crazy.”
Point to the appropriate image as you say . . .
They fought and fought crying “An elephant is like a tree.” “No it is like a fan.” “Any man with
sense knows that an elephant is like a plow.” “They are like paint brushes.” “Elephants are like
snakes.”
“This,” said the Buddha, “Is what truth is like.”
Wondering Questions:
 I wonder if you have heard or seen any of this before?
 I wonder which part of the story you liked the best?
 I wonder if there is one part that is more important than the others?
 I wonder where you might be in this story?
 I wonder if we can leave a part out and still have a story?
 I wonder why the king played this game with the elephant?
 I wonder why each wise man named something different to describe an elephant?
 I wonder what would happen if they changed places? (change people one at a time)
 I wonder what they each thought when the others gave a different answer?
 I wonder why they couldn’t agree on an answer?
 I wonder if one man is wiser than the others?
 I wonder what it is like not to know everything?
 I wonder if the Buddha knows the answer?
 I wonder if the elephant could be all these things?
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I wonder if the elephant has a name?
I wonder if the wise people have names?
I wonder if any of the wise people were women? Children?
I wonder if the king’s challenge was solved?
I wonder if this story might teach us something about being humble?
I wonder why this story is in a gold box?
I wonder where the Spirit of Love and Mystery might be in this story?
Now watch how I put this story away, so that if you make it your work, you will be able to get it
ready for the next man.
Place each object back into the basket in reverse order, naming them as you go, and
then fold up the underlay and place on the basket before you take the basket to the
shelf.
Now watch where I go to put this basket away so that you will know where it is found in the
classroom.
Place basket on shelf.