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Weekend Connect: Pointing at the "Super Moon" of Compassion

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According to Nasa, tonight's full "super moon" will be the largest since 1993, meaning the full moon is the closest to the Earth's surface in 18 years.

Two analogies from Buddhism strike me.

First, that the moon is an analogy for the experience of compassion - bright, lucid, and heartbreaking. Can we feel super compassion when we gaze tonight upon the Supermoon?

Second, that conceptual teachings and frameworks are like a "finger pointing at the moon." They may give direction, but the point is to actually have a direct experience that is beyond words or concepts.

As we gaze at the moon tonight, can we feel the truth of interdependence as a visceral rather than conceptual experience? If you need a concept to open to this experience, you might take a moment to reflect on all the people and creatures, in Libya, Japan, and your hometown, gazing up at the moon as you do.

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Comments

Metta Moon

Beautiful post, Ethan. Lent is called the "the season of bright sadness" by the Eastern Orthodox church. Sounds like super-compassion to me. Love, Sarah

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