The Hand Pointing to the Moon is Not the Moon

"The hand pointing to the moon is not the moon." ~ Buddhist saying

Our teachers, styles, and even religions, with the best of intensions and rich pearls of wisdom, still show only one perspective, one view, one of the many paths to awakening.

Many students, practitioners and followers make the mistake of clinging to the path so tightly, that they miss the actual experience the path is aiming to lead them into.  They become so attached to the rituals of the path themselves, that those lose their purpose, and become stiff dogmatic containers and walls to create false divisions between "right" and "wrong" and "them" and "us". The stare at the path itself instead of looking out at the majestic views the path affords. Some will become so narrow and fearful that they will punish others for not walking the identical pathway.

All religions, all styles of meditation and yoga, are not the luminous moon of the ever-unfolding Divine Consciousness that dwells in all things. They are helpful hands pointing to the moon. Let your awareness guide you, as you choose the best of what you discover, and keep using what is working to make you feel luminous, blessed, light, loving, wise and joyous. Use it in conjunction with whatever gems work for you. And when they cease to work as you grow and change, let them go.

Who are we to imagine that the Consciousness Within All is to be accessible by only one mean? Just by the sheer fact of diversity in this world, it leads one to believe that many, many, many effective ways exist to realization. It is said that there are as many paths as beings that exist. Maybe there are even more.

Go experience the moon. Stop obsessing about the hand.

With love and light for all beings~