Seek The Truth For Yourself

This is the story of a donkey. A donkey who was walking along when night fell. He was not sure what his destination was and how to reach it. And what made it worse was that he could hear the sounds of wild animals in the forest, where he had been grazing all day. It was too dark for the donkey to see beyond his nose. Fear gripped the donkey as he peered into the darkness ahead to see if he could make something of it.

Just as the donkey ambled about directionless, an owl from a treetop hooted out to him, “Buddy! You cannot see at night, but I can; maybe I should become your guide and show you the path.” The donkey could not have asked for anything better. He guffawed with joy and invited the owl to sit on its back.

With the owl perched delicately on his back, the duo made their way through the forest. The owl gave directions, and the donkey followed them. All night, the arrangement worked out well. They managed to avoid wild animals and see the light of day. The sun rose as the team reached the forest's edge, and a new day was born. In the sunlight, the donkey could see very well, but the owl was blinded by the light.

For a few minutes, there was confusion, but the owl, having donned the guide's hat, was reluctant to give up the leadership role. The owl was too attached to his seat on the donkey’s back and the power it gave him. So, even though the owl could see nothing, he continued to give directions.
The donkey did not think much about the arrangement that was well-suited to the night but defective during the day. He did not realise that he could see and did not need owl’s help navigating the forest. Even though he did not require a visual guide now, he continued to accept the owl as his guide. He never attempted to use his head or eyes and perceive that he could see during the day, hence he did not need a guide. He continued to follow the owl’s directions, which were not based on knowledge of the path ahead.

At one point, the owl instructed the donkey to turn left and immediately right. The donkey could see a deep, fast-moving river down the cliff. But he was following the guide and not thinking, so he did just as he was told. The donkey fell directly into the river and drowned.

We learn two things from this incident. There are times when we need guides, and no guide can be greater than the dharma guru or the spiritual teacher . However, it does not mean we stop seeing ourselves or examining things critically. All great seers have encouraged us to look for the Truth ourselves. They have also said to choose your guide after consideration.

Most ancient texts emphasise that both the teacher and the taught should fulfil certain qualifications. Indeed, the donkey did not have a choice during the night. However if he was alert during the day, he would have known that his guide was not helping him. In our lives, too, the same guide may not work for all occasions. Hence, Mahavir said appana sachame secche – search for the truth yourself.