There once was a blind man who carried with him a staff to help him find his way.
Despite his staff, the blind man went through life bumping into buildings and boulders and stumbling over unseen brambles and vines that blocked his path.
One day in despair and anger, the blind man started running, flailing his staff about him. He howled obscenities at the gods as he ran. He struck his wife and child with the staff bringing great bruises on their bodies and spirits.
Passing villagers witnessed what was happening and thought the man to be mean and cruel. They determined he should be punished. One villager thought he should be stoned so that he too might feel the suffering his wife and child had endured. Another villager thought he should be banished and left in the woods to be devoured by wolves.
There happened that day to be a wise old sage among the villagers. On hearing their ideas, he stepped forward and said, “I can see how you might see this man as mean and cruel, but he is a blind man and suffers for that reason. Yes, as he waved his staff in frustration and anger at his blindness, his wife and child were struck.” The sage paused a moment and then said these words.
“You who would have this man stoned or banished. Think how many times you have caused the suffering of another by hurtful words, deeds, deceits, and lies? We have all done these things.
Should we then call out to those to whom we have caused suffering and ask them to stone us or leave us to be devoured by wolves?”
No villager spoke, but then they watched in amazement at the scene that played before them. The blind man’s wife ran up to him and wrenched his staff from his hand. She then put her arms lovingly around him. The man crumpled to the ground and wept. The man’s child ran to him and put her arms around him.
After a while, the blind man stood and was gently guided home by his wife and child.
The wise sage smiled, “My friends, what you have seen is called love and compassion.”
We are all blind
