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The Jaina Philosophy
well and not being able to reach the man with his mighty trunk, was trying to shake the tree and thus force the man out, down in the walls of the well were four snakes in an attitude of hissing at the man, as if about to sting him, lower down at the bottom was a huge serpent reaching up towards the man with his great open mouth. Two rats, one black, one white were knawing at the trunk of the tree to which the man was holding on, higher, up on the branch was honey-comb and swarm of bees the efforts of the elephant to shake the man loose by swaying the limb had caused the honey to trickle down in drops, which were falling on the lips of the man.
A monk, a teacher of religion in his white monk's garb stood on the opposite side of the well from the elephant, as if offering assistance to escape to the man from the many dangers surrounding him. I could understand all the dangers to which the man was exposed, but I felt assured that there was a deeper meaning to it all, and after gazing a long time at the picture trying to solve its meaning, I appealed to my father. At once he said, “My son, will you be able to understand the meaning even if I explain to you?” “I think you will."
He said, “Once upon a time several men were travelling in company through a great forest infested with wild beasts. When in the midst of the forest they were attacked by a band of robbers, they all fled for their lives, running in different directions. This man whom you see suspended in the well was one of the parties. He became lost in the forest and could not find his way out. At this juncture, he suddenly saw a huge elephant chasing after him. He knew that unless he found immediate shelter, he would be instantly killed. As he ran, he saw at a short distance ahead of him an open space in the forest and in this was a great well (some of our wells in India are 80 to 40 feet or more across) he saw his situation and knew the only possible escape from instant death by the elephant was to take refuge in the well so he leaped in, but
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