Pointing at the Moon

So, when we're just starting out training our mind, I think it's really helpful to have a lot of support. But over time, we start to see that this support is really just guidance. It's like the story of the man who was pointing at the moon, trying to show it to his dog, sat at his feet. "Look, look how beautiful the moon is", he says. The dog just sits there, wagging his tail, happy that his owner is happy. "No, but look," says the man, gesturing a little more emphatically. The dog gets a bit more excited by the man's tone, but still, he just sits there. No matter how much, no matter how forcefully or playfully the man points, the dog just sits there, wagging his tail, staring at the finger, barely catching a glimpse of the moon. It's really tempting when we're learning to train the mind in this way, to rely too heavily on a teacher, their words, or a set of ideas. And to almost forget that it's not the finger that's important. In fact, it's only there to direct our attention to the reality of our own experience. Once we understand this, and we can really let go, the mind is at ease, resting in awareness, at one with the moon....