Finger and Moon

Recently in a dinner party, I met a new friend and to my delight, he has been reading Thay’s books since his university days in the UK.  “I like to read Thich Nhat Hanh’s books”, he said, “but I do not like his way of practice and his followers.”  I was curious because Thay emphasizes the importance of practice in all his books.  I wonder how one could like Thay’s book but not the practice!  “I met some of his followers in the UK.”, my friend continued, “They are so into the different rituals such as stopping at the sound of the bell, touching the earth and reading gathas before a meal, etc, etc.  Aren’t all these distractions from mindfulness? How can one be truly present when there are so many rituals to follow?”

He made a good point.  If we fall into the trap of believing that all the rituals and rules of the Plum Village are the experience of mindfulness, than we are in the wrong path.  I told my new friend the famous analogy of the finger and the moon by the Buddha.  The intention of the finger pointing to the moon is for us to see the true moon.  If we keep looking at the finger and think it is the moon, we will never see the moon. If we can see the moon, then we may not need the finger until we lose track of it. If we develop a way to notice the moon all the time, then we no longer need the pointing finger.  All the rituals on the practice of mindfulness are forms, tools and maps that help us to reach the state of mindfulness.  They are not mindfulness itself.  When we practice, we must remember this.

In the common areas of the Plum Village, the clock chimes every 15 minutes, and we are told to stop whatever we are doing and take a few deep breaths to return to the present moment.  I find it a useful practice because we tend to slip out of our state of mindfulness so easily.  But I notice that Thay do not stop at the sound of the chimes.  He continues to drink his tea or to walk.  I believe it is not because of his privilege of being a venerable zen master.  He is already in mindfulness all the time.  I am not making a wild guess because I can really feel the energy of mindfulness Thay radiates wherever he is.  For many of us who are still learning to live the present moment, stop and breathe at the sound of the bell remains a good practice.