Sutra Five - The Mirror King
鏡面王經第五
Jìngmiàn wáng jīng dì wǔ
Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Paramaṭṭhakasutta - Chapter 5. The Highest
Discussion: The prose text introducing the Arthapada verse is set in Sravasti where the Buddha and his mendicants are staying. The mendicants attend a discussion meeting held by Brahmans where they witness various Brahman teachers argue and throw insults amongst themselves to who has the proper dharma and path.
On recounting this to the Buddha, the Buddha tells a story of a past king who summons blind men to his court and gives them the task on working out what they are touching. Unknown to them it is an elephant, each gives a different account (this of course is a famous story in India). The buddha then declares that he was the king in a past life and the Brahmans the blind men.