--- title: Opening, part 9 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 9, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Whoever seeks advantage by wrong means, comes to grief. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/9/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/) / Opening, part 9 # Opening, part 9 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/9/) **2** The result was that after a time Mistress Vedehikā acquired the following evil reputation: “Cruel is Mistress Vedehikā, no meek woman is Mistress Vedehikā, no tranquil woman is Mistress Vedehikā!”[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") “Precisely so, monks, here in this world, many a monk is ever so gentle, ever so meek, ever so tranquil, so long as unpleasant remarks do not reach him.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") But when, monks, unpleasant remarks reach a monk, that is the time to find out whether he is really gentle, really meek, really tranquil.”[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") \_13.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") Blind Men and Elephant.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Avoid vain wrangling.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") Udāna vi.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") 4: 66-69.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus have I heard: Once upon a time the Exalted One was in residence at Jetavana, near Sāvatthi.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Now at that time there entered Sāvatthi for alms a company of heretics, both monks and Brahmans, wandering ascetics, holding heretical views, patient of heresy, delighting in heresy, relying upon the reliance of heretical views.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") There were some monks and Brahmans who held this doctrine, who held this view: “The world is eternal.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") This view alone is truth; any other is folly.”[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") But there were other monks and Brahmans who held this view: “The world is not eternal.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") This view alone is truth; any other is folly.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") Some held that the world is finite, others that the world is infinite.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") Some held that the soul and the body are identical, others that the soul and the body are distinct.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") They quarreled and brawled and wrangled and struck one another with the daggers of their tongues, saying: “This is right, that is not right;” “This is not right, that is right.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") Now in the morning a company of monks put on their under-garments, took bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthi for alms.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") And when they had made their alms-pilgrimage in Sāvatthi, they returned from their pilgrimage.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") And when they had eaten their breakfast, they approached the Exalted One.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") And having approached, they saluted the Exalted One and sat down on one side.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") And sitting on one side, those monks reported the matter to the Exalted One.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “The heretics, O monks, the wandering ascetics, are blind, without eyes; know not good, know not evil; know not right, know not wrong.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Knowing not good, knowing not evil, knowing not right, knowing not wrong, they quarrel and brawl and wrangle and strike one another with the daggers of their tongues, saying: ‘This is right, that is not right;’ ‘This is not right, that is right.’”[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") In olden times, in this very city of Sāvatthi, there was a certain king.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") And that king ordered a certain man: “Come, my man, assemble in one place all the men in Sāvatthi who are blind from birth.”[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, your majesty,” said that man to that king.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") And when, in obedience to the king’s command, he had laid hands on all the men in Sāvatthi who were blind from birth, he approached that king.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") And having approached, he said this to that king: “Your majesty, the blind from birth in Sāvatthi are assembled for you.”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") “Very well\![111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Now let the blind men feel of the elephant.”[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, your majesty,” said that man to that king.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") And in obedience to the king’s command he let the blind men feel of the elephant, saying: “This, O blind men, is what an elephant is like.”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the blind men he let feel of the elephant’s head, saying: “This, O blind men, is what an elephant is like.”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the blind men he let feel of the elephant’s ears, saying: “This, O blind men, is what an elephant is like.”[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the blind men he let feel of the elephant’s tusks, saying: “This, O blind men, is what an elephant is like.”[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Others he let feel of the trunk, saying the same.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Others he let feel of the belly, others of the legs, others of the back, others of the tail, saying to each and to all: “This, O blind men, is what an elephant is like.”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Now when that man had let the blind men feel of the elephant, he approached that king.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") And having approached, he said this to that king: “Your majesty, those blind men have felt of the elephant; do as you think fit.”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Then that king approached those blind men.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") And having approached, he said this to those blind men: “Blind men, have you felt of the elephant?”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, your majesty, we have felt of the elephant.”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") “Tell me, blind men, what is an elephant like?”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind men who had felt of the elephant’s head, said: “Your majesty, an elephant is like a water-pot.”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind men who had felt of the elephant’s ears, said: “Your majesty, an elephant is like a winnowing-basket.”[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind men who had felt of the elephant’s tusks, said: “Your majesty, an elephant is like a plow-share.”[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") Those who had felt of the trunk, said: “An elephant is like a plow-pole.”[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Those who had felt of the belly, said: “An elephant is like a granary.”[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Those who had felt of the legs, said: “An elephant is like pillars.”[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") Those who had felt of the back, said: “An elephant is like a mortar.”[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") The blind men who had felt of the elephant’s tail, said: “Your majesty, an elephant is like a fan.”[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") And they fought among themselves with their fists, saying: “This is what an elephant is like, that is not what an elephant is like;” “This is not what an elephant is like, that is what an elephant is like.”[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") And thereat that king was delighted.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") “Precisely so, O monks, the heretics, the wandering ascetics, are blind, without eyes; know not good, know not evil; know not right, know not wrong.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") Knowing not good, knowing not evil, knowing not right, knowing not wrong, they quarrel and brawl and wrangle and strike one another with the daggers of their tongues, saying: ‘This is right, that is not right;’ ‘This is not right, that is right.’”[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") \_14.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") King and Boar.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Evil communications corrupt good manners.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Jātaka 186: ii.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") 101-106.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") On a certain occasion the Teacher addressed the monks as follows: “Monks, contact with the corrupt is a bad thing, an injurious thing.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") Indeed, why should it be necessary to discuss the injurious effect on human beings of contact with the corrupt, when in times past even a senseless mango tree, with flavor as sweet as the flavor of celestial fruit, through contact with sour, unpalatable nimbs, turned sour and bitter?”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Part.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") 1.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") Gem, hatchet, drum, and bowl.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, four Brahman brothers in the kingdom of Kāsi adopted the life of ascetics, and building a row of leaf-huts in the Himālaya region, took up their abode there.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") The eldest of the four brothers died and was reborn as Sakka, king of gods.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") Knowing who he had been, he went from time to time, every seven or eight days, and ministered to his former brothers.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he saluted the eldest ascetic, sat down on one side, and asked: “Reverend Sir, is there anything you need?”[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") The ascetic, who was suffering from jaundice, said: “I need fire.”[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") Sakka gave him a little hatchet.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") Said the ascetic: “Who will take this and fetch me wood?”[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Sakka said to him: “When, Reverend Sir, you need wood, just rub this hatchet with your hand and say: ‘Please fetch me wood and make me a fire.’[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") And the hatchet will fetch wood, make a fire, and turn it over to you.”[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/9/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/9/) - next →: [Opening, part 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/10/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)