Elephant In The Dark

Let's each hold a candle and together explore the reality of the elephant

Penned by Reza

I was talking to a couple of friends yesterday about the recent events when two individuals had chosen to share their thoughts and feelings with everyone and the confusion and pain their sentiments had caused. One of my friends mentioned how this is a classic example of what Rumi was describing in his Elephant in The Dark poem. To save you Google search time here is a translation of the poem: 

Some Hindus have an elephant to show.

No one here has ever seen an elephant.

They bring it at night to a dark room.

One by one, we go in the dark and come out

saying how we experience the animal.

One of us happens to touch the trunk.

“A water-pipe kind of creature.”

Another, the ear. “A very strong, always moving

back and forth, fan-animal.”

Another, the leg. “I find it still,

like a column on a temple.”

Another touches the curved back.

“A leathery throne.”

Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk.

“A rounded sword made of porcelain.”

He’s proud of his description.

Each of us touches one place

and understands the whole in that way.

The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark are

how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.

If each of us held a candle there,

and if we went in together,

we could see it.

I believe communication is of utmost importance for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Most hurt feelings are a direct result of miscommunication or misinterpretation of facts.

Often we make quick judgments based on the information presented to us because it is not easy to gather all the facts, specially when we may not know where to look for them. What makes it even more complicated is when a trusted friend shares their version of facts and we see no reason to doubt them.

By nature we want to protect our friends and fight for them if we feel they have been mistreated. We are all human and have flaws but I believe a vast majority of people here have the best of intentions. We are all here because it feels much safer than the outer world. We are here because we have been able to form strong bonds with others in a relatively short period of time. 

Because of my position, I often find myself in a situation that requires me to make a judgment call. People come to me with their version of facts. They rarely make intentional misrepresentations, but because of my experience I know they may not have all the facts or may have a misinterpreted version of facts. This is why I refrain from knee-jerk reactions regardless of how severe a situation may appear at first sight. Sometimes I spend days searching for all the facts so I can have a complete picture of what occurred before deciding how it should be handled. I call people and talk to them to hear their words, listen to their tone, and judge their credibility as much as I can. I never dismiss anyone’s discomfort or request for help. 

My request is that each of us hold a candle and together explore the reality of the elephant, instead of forming beliefs and taking sides based solely on what part of the elephant we may have touched. I am making this request because it is the only way we can maintain a vibrant, happy and healthy community despite the occasional mishaps that are impossible to prevent.

If you have questions about a subject I encourage you to reach out to me directly and see if I can help you arrive at a better understanding of the facts. 

My other request is that you obey the rules that we are all aware of and each of us freely agreed to follow as a condition of joining and remaining in this space.

This space exists for you to have fun, make friends, explore your passions, get help and support when you need it, and to enrich the lives of others you meet and connect with. I deeply care about this community and every single one of you, regardless of what House you reside in or how well I may know you. My only agenda is to help each one of you become a valuable contributor to the health and well being of the Realm.

Let’s focus on why we are all here, which is to follow our bliss.