Yesterday was the Korean Thanksgiving holiday, which I spent on Jeju Island, south of Korea. At night, I gathered with my students under the big, bright moon. It was the night of the super moon and lunar eclipse. Gazing at it, I sent LifeParticles to people across the world and words of inspiration descended into my mind. . . .
Try eating some moon.
Eat the moon. Eat it ten times.
Did you eat it deliciously?
Eating something deliciously means becoming one with it. We eat the energy of the moon the same way we say we drink in air to live and absorb the energy of the sun with our whole bodies. We are life forms that cannot be separated from air or sun and survive. The energy of the sun, the moon, the air becomes our energy. When you experience this, you realize that you and the moon are not two separate things, but one and the same.
Much truth is revealed by the moon. Although it is categorized into different types, like a full moon, crescent moon, or half moon, the actual moon itself is always the same. The full moon we saw that night is how the moon looks when it’s just the way it is, in its complete state. This moon was precious because it showed its whole self. It revealed everything, without hiding anything. This shows us that our very own original mind, our soul, is like that moon—inherently bright and radiant; it is completeness itself that remains impartial, without leaning to any one side.
Ordinarily, however, our soul is hidden from us. It is eclipsed by our emotions. Most people can perceive their emotions well, but they don’t see their soul that well. With meditation practice, you can clear the shadows in front of your mind’s eye to see your soul clearly. You can compare how much your mind has awakened to your underlying wholeness to the changing form of the moon. The less you’ve awakened, the darker it is inside you and the harder it is to see your soul, just as the full moon can be hidden. The more you’ve awakened, the brighter and more radiantly your soul is able to shine.
People who have opened their eyes to see their soul come to know that it is their actual essence (what we really are)—Life that has no beginning or end and exists alone, in and of itself, eternally.
Never forget that your soul is this precious and invaluable. From now on, every time you see the moon, why don’t you remind yourself of the purpose and meaning of every human life—the full embodiment of your shining and whole soul. Then on the day of the full moon each month, meditate and clear your mind of whatever is preventing you from seeing your radiant soul.
In the wake of the Harvest Moon Thanksgiving holiday, I’m sending you LifeParticles of the bright and radiant full moon so that you too may shine as brilliantly.