Part 1:Introduction: What is a parable?
A parable is a brief, succinct story in prose or verse that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. It generally refers to something that might naturally occur, yet the emphasis in this literary genre is to convey spiritual and moral matters. A parable is the simplest of narratives. A parable tends to be short. It usually only contains one central point and conveys one particular truth the author wishes to impart. A parable clearly divides itself between the story and the lesson to be taught. Without the lesson or application, the story at its face value seems irrelevant (so what?). That is why a parable is distinguished by its interpretation. It must be unlocked and explained. The parable makes comparisons, telling the reader, This is like this. In contrast, the longer, more abstract allegory fleshes out multiple themes, and says to the reader, This is this.
A Jain Parable:
There was once a man who, oppressed by his poverty, left home and set out for another country. But after a few days, he lost his way and found himself wandering in a dense forest. There he met a mad elephant, which charged him with upraised trunk. Immediately as he turned to flee there appeared before him a terrible demoness with a sharp sword in her hand. In fear and trembling, he looked about him in all directions for a way of escape until he saw a great tree and ran towards it. But he could not climb its smooth bole (trunk, or stem of a tree), and afraid of death, flung himself into an old well nearby.
As he fell he managed to catch hold of a clump of reeds growing from the wall, and clung to them desperately. Far below him he could see a mass of snakes, enraged at the sound of his falling, and at the very bottom, identifiable from the hiss of its breath, was a mighty black python with its mouth wide open to receive him. And even as he realized that his life could last only as long as the reeds held fast, he looked up and saw two mice, one black and one white, gnawing at the roots. Meanwhile, the elephant, enraged at not catching its victim, charged the tree and dislodged a honeycomb. It fell upon the man clinging so precariously. But even as the bees angrily stung his body, by chance a drop of honey fell on his brow, rolled down his face, and reached his lips, to bring a moments sweetness. And he longed for yet more drops and so forgot the perils of his existence.
A key:
Now hear its interpretation: The man is the soul, his wandering in the forest his existence. The wild elephant is death, the demoness with the sword, old age. The tree is salvation, where there is no fear of death, but which no sensual man can climb (attain).The well is human life, the snakes passions, the python hell. The clump of reeds I mans allotted span, the black and white mice the dark and light halves of the month (moon cycles). The bees are diseases and troubles, while the drops of honey are but trivial pleasures. How can a wise man want them in the midst of such peril and hardship?
The Jain parable illustrated:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qsit265wew8rtwt/Monk%20prince%20and%20parable.pdf?dl=0After reading the above parable, and viewing the illustrated slides, answer these five questions:
1. Ultimately is this the fate of human existencea brief, brutish existence full of toil and strife with few rewards and pleasures? How would you interpret human existence?2. Is the monks interpretation or explanation fatalistic? Explain. Second, put yourself in the princes place. Do you think the monk persuaded him? Would he have persuaded you? Explain.3. The monk seems to warn against pleasures the rare drops of honey. Is pleasure folly and distracting, as the monk seems to infer? In formulating your philosophy of pleasure, how would you address seeking pleasure in a world of poverty and suffering?4. The parable is short and simple, and does not appear to offer any solution or means of salvation or enlightenment out of this forest full of perils and traps. What might be the Jain answer for eliminating ones bad karma?5. Write your own brief parable to offer a similar or a counter example / alternative parable to the one relayed to the prince. Or if you like, expand on the monks parable with a possible way out of the dilemma of our accumulated negative karmaPart 2:A key Jain value and principle: ahimsaRead the brief article at the BBC website that has as its focus world religions. Afterward, answer the questions below. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/living/ahimsa_1.shtml1. How would you define ahimsain terms of its (a) literal meaning; (b) prescriptive behaviorwhat we should do; and (c) proscriptive behaviorwhat we should not do. Find examples from the article.2. Laityor lay personsare the common everyone else folks, whereas clergy or clerics are the ordained religious orders such as monks, priests, monks, nuns. Discuss the issue of intentionality for lay Jains. (See page 3 of the article.)3. Buddhism as well as Jainism in particular stress compassion, which seems to be the spirit of or at the heart of the teaching of ahimsa. Think of and list ways we might cultivate and practice compassion in our daily lives.4. Assuming this is so, how does religion or religious teaching factor into ecology, and environmentalism?5. From an overall reading of this piece, how might ahimsa be applied in the matter of self-defense and in responding to domestic violence?