盲人摸象 blind men and an elephant

six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body. The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe.

A king explains to them:

"All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features you mentioned."

This resolves the conflict, and is used to illustrate the principle of living in harmony with people who have different belief systems, and that truth can be stated in different ways

“尔时大王，即唤众盲各各问言∶'汝见象耶？'众盲各言∶'我已得见。'王言∶'象为何类？'其触牙者即言象形如芦菔根，其触耳者言象如箕，其触头者言象如石，其触鼻者言象如杵，其触脚者言象如木臼，其触脊者言象如床，其触腹者言象如　，其触尾者言象如绳。”

每个人都只触摸一部分。每个人在触摸到不同的部位后得到完全不同的结论，产生争执。故事基本上说事实往往由于各人角度不同而被给以不同的解释。