The Man Who Threw Pebbles At The Moon
The Man Who Threw Pebbles At The Moon
The Man Who Threw Pebbles At The MoonA man saw the reflection of the moon in a small pond. He began to throw rocks in the pond, and he smiled at how the image of the moon rippled and distorted and even winked out. A martial arts sensei from Monkeyland walked by and saw what the man was doing, and said, "Look up."
Stone in hand, the man looked upwards. The grandeur of Earth's celestial sister washed over him, and his eyes opened. Shocked by the revelation of what he saw, he dropped the pebble and stared at the heavens.
Many of us journey through life, throwing pebbles at what we see. Maybe the pebble is in the form of a harsh word or an unjust rebuke. Maybe it is just a lack of kindness and consideration in a word blurted too fast.
The result of our thoughtless word stirs emotions, and suddenly we have caused ripples of unhappiness, and our friendship with our fellow man is distorted, perhaps even winks out for a second.
How do you take back the rock? How do you undo the ripples that confuse and confound our perception of our fellow man? How do you make the waters return to the stillness that allows for an accurate reflection of what has happened, and of our fellow man?
And, how do you know how to look up, as opposed to being fixated on the reverse image of the moon? Reverse image? You didn't know?
You see life and it is backwards, for it journeys through perception to that which perceives. Realizing that life is backwards is the clue. Realizing that we are the perceivers, and all reality is merely a reflection of what we have created is the key.
This is the secret that the martial arts sensei from Monkeyland knew, and that he imparted to the man throwing stones. When you cast pebbles they might hit something, so be careful where you throw them. They might even strike the moon, and then you would have nothing to see.