According to the ancients, God has a way of testing indivduals. He is in a position to test a person as well as taking notes in his faith. He can put an individual in a position he wishes himself. Hermit Gautama who lives in the forest, where he came across a baby elephant which his parents were killed and take it as his child. The incident made Gautama that he decided to take care of the elephant by cleaning and nursing the wounded parts of the animal. As days go by the elephant grew to be a very mighty and beasty animal. Now after the Lord has seen that He decided to carry out an experiment.
The king carried out an experiment; he went to the hermitage and started concerns by taking the forms of the country’s king. You are mighty king no doubt he said while leading the way with him, but this is my source of fuel and water do not take him away he is obedient and guides me Gautama stated. The king replied that elephants fit for kings than common people since they are royal animals.
The king was in love with the strong elephant. He liked so much that he even says that even if he dies he will carry the elephant. The king refused to give back the elephant to Gautama and insisted that wherever he will be the elephant will be as well. Gautama, on the other hand, is insisting to take his elephant back when the king goes to a higher place he will follow him and pick his elephant. Their argument went on and on and every time the king would describe the higher place that he thinks Gautama will not be able to find him, he promised to reach there and bring his elephant back. During the conversation, Gautama realizes that he was talking to God himself and therefore asked to be pardoned.
All this time the King was testing Gautama stand about his elephant. He wanted to know if Gautama stands by his word and if he is focused. The reasons why the king would describe places, where he stated to be unreachable, are to determine if Gautama would insist on still getting his elephant back. Gautama swears that wherever the king will be with his elephant he will still reach there and get back his elephant. When Gautama realizes that he was becoming obstinate with God he apologized and asked God to forgive him. God was so pleased when he noticed that Gautama has recognized him and asked for forgiveness. According to Gautama, it is only God who has power over everything in the Universe and all belong to him. Therefore, he can take anything without being questioned since he is the God the Provider.
Gautama was offered a boon, a free choice where he was to make a choice. Gautama decided that he would have his elephant back. He brought up the elephant has his own child and could not exchange it for anything else. Despite the fact that he was supposed to make choices over the elephant and other things he did not choose other heaven beauties but his elephant. However, he already made his choices and he asked to be given the elephant back. The moral of the story is that one should not be deceived by beauties joys or the diligent of the higher heavens, and should not stop until one reaches the Lord himself. We also learned that there is need to study every individual as well as everything in this world just like the way Gautama did. Once one has studied and get to understand others as well as their surroundings and everything around then will help in living in harmony.
Works cited
“Gautama And The Elephant | Sulekha Creative”. Creative.Sulekha.Com, 2018, http://creative.sulekha.com/gautama-and-the-elephant_39163_blog. Accessed 14 Mar 2018.
Blomfield, Vishvapani. Gautama Buddha. Quercus Books, 2011.
