Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Meaning of the Finger Pointing to the Moon
Mind & Emotions, Spirituality
The Meaning of the Finger Pointing to the Moon
The finger pointing to the moon
Hotei pointing with the finger to the moon
The nun Wu Jincang asked the Sixth Patriach Huineng, "I have studied the Mahaparinirvana sutra for many years, yet there are many areas i do not quite understand. Please enlighten me."
The patriach responded, "I am illiterate. Please read out the characters to me and perhaps I will be able to explain the meaning."
Said the nun, "You cannot even recognize the characters. How are you able then to understand the meaning?"
"Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon’s location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?"
The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon is the essence here. But what does this mean on a deeper level? How does it relate to todays everyday life? How can we understand the meaning in an useful manner?
The laughing Buddha Hotei is pointing to the moon, who was a monk who lived during the Later Liang Dynasty (907–923 AD) of China. Contentment and happiness being his defining attributes, Hotei has a cheerful face and a big belly.
......
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Bitter old man
There was a time when I used to think I was a bitter old man, lacking in social graces, blaming the others for my failures as a human being. Not all the time mind you, but enough that it would wear on me and others around me.
But darn it, this week I'm feeling good about myself because there is somebody out their who tops the cake! We are responsible for who we are or become. Don't blame others for everything that is wrong in life. Using the key phrase: "get over it". If you are a jerk, you are a jerk. Nobody makes anybody a jerk.
Certainly, as an adult you can't blame others for who you are or who you become. We all determine the path that we want to go down.
Wow! Isn't interesting that the internet is a FORUM for us. Is it, "the feeling of aimlessness and isolation that makes us sign up for FACEBOOK"? It just seems that this might be a dangerous tool for the disenchanted. Any enough is enough, don't you think.
Dove Speaks
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Happy Birthday
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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