A parable is often no more than an extended metaphor or simile, using figurative language in the form of a story to illustrate a particular truth. The Greek word for "parable" literally means "a laying by the side of" or "a casting alongside," thus "a comparison or likeness." In a parable something is placed alongside something else, in order that one may throw light on the other. A familiar custom or incident is used to illustrate some truth less familiar.
Here are several parables:
The Blind Men and the Elephant:
A number of disciples
went to the Buddha and said, "Sir, there are living here in Savatthi many
wandering hermits and scholars who indulge in constant dispute, some saying
that the world is infinite and eternal and others that it is finite and not eternal,
some saying that the soul dies with the body and others that it lives on
forever, and so forth. What, Sir, would you say concerning them?"
The Buddha answered,
"Once upon a time there was a certain raja who called to his servant and
said, 'Come, good fellow, go and gather together in one place all the men of
Savatthi who were born blind... and show them an elephant.' 'Very good, sire,'
replied the servant, and he did as he was told. He said to the blind men
assembled there, 'Here is an elephant,' and to one man he presented the head of
the elephant, to another its ears, to another a tusk, to another the trunk, the
foot, back, tail, and tuft of the tail, saying to each one that that was the
elephant.
"When the blind men
had felt the elephant, the raja went to each of them and said to each, 'Well,
blind man, have you seen the elephant? Tell me, what sort of thing is an
elephant?'
"Thereupon the men
who were presented with the head answered, 'Sire, an elephant is like a pot.'
And the men who had observed the ear replied, 'An elephant is like a winnowing
basket.' Those who had been presented with a tusk said it was a ploughshare.
Those who knew only the trunk said it was a plough; others said the body was a
grainery; the foot, a pillar; the back, a mortar; the tail, a pestle, the tuft
of the tail, a brush.
"Then they began to
quarrel, shouting, 'Yes it is!' 'No, it is not!' 'An elephant is not that!'
'Yes, it's like that!' and so on, till they came to blows over the matter.
"Brethren, the raja
was delighted with the scene.
"Just so are these
preachers and scholars holding various views blind and unseeing.... In their
ignorance they are by nature quarrelsome, wrangling, and disputatious, each
maintaining reality is thus and thus."
Then the Exalted One
rendered this meaning by uttering this verse of uplift,
O how they cling and wrangle, some who claim
For preacher and monk the honored name!
For, quarreling, each to his view they cling.
Such folk see only one side of a thing.
Who knows what’s good or bad? ~ a Buddhist Parable
The situation we always live in is like that of the wise Chinese farmer whose horse ran off. When his neighbor came to console him the farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?” When his horse returned the next day with a herd of horses following her, the foolish neighbor came to congratulate him on his good fortune. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the farmer. Then, when the farmer’s son broke his leg trying to ride one of the new horses, the foolish neighbor came to console him again. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the wise farmer. When the army passed through, conscripting men for war, they passed over the farmer’s son because of his broken leg. When the foolish man came to congratulate the farmer that his son would be spared, again the wise farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?”
The situation we always live in is like that of the wise Chinese farmer whose horse ran off. When his neighbor came to console him the farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?” When his horse returned the next day with a herd of horses following her, the foolish neighbor came to congratulate him on his good fortune. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the farmer. Then, when the farmer’s son broke his leg trying to ride one of the new horses, the foolish neighbor came to console him again. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the wise farmer. When the army passed through, conscripting men for war, they passed over the farmer’s son because of his broken leg. When the foolish man came to congratulate the farmer that his son would be spared, again the wise farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?”
[25] On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[26] "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
[27] He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
[28] "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
[29] But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
[30] In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
[36] "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
[37] The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
