The Finger Pointing at the Moon

Text

The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. All the words I speak to you are like a finger pointing at the moon. Do not mistake the finger for the moon.

license: public_domain

By Shakyamuni Buddha

• Buddha Twirls a Flowerkoan
• The Girl Comes Out From Meditationkoan
• Sitting Quietly, Spring Comesproverb
• When Hungry, Eatproverb
• When You Reach the Top, Keep Climbingproverb

From Traditional Zen Proverbs

• Landscape of Spring
• Entering the Forest
• Bamboo Shadows
• Scoop Up Water
• Wild Geese Reflection
• A Thousand Mountains
• Ride Your Horse
• Cast Off What Has Been Realized
• Blue Mountains
• Dense Bamboo Forest

Sources

• contentWikisource — English-language free library

  Traditional Zen proverb; Lankavatara Sutra paraphrase

  Traditional Zen Proverbs: The Finger Pointing at the Moon