Request for reference

Simonthepilgrim

Can anyone give me a precise source and wording for the quotation about the finger and the moon?

I've found this:
"All instruction is but a finger pointing to the moon; and those whose gaze is fixed upon the pointer will never see beyond. Even let him catch sight of the moon, and still he cannot see its beauty."
but I have been led to believe that the metaphor can be found among the sayings of the Buddha. Any ideas?

buddhafoot

I'm gonna start with this...

http://www.amazon.com/Finger-Pointing-Moon-Discourses-Upanishad/dp/3893381384

and add a little of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanishads

and a smidge of this

http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/Zen/Zen_Finger_pointing_to_the_Moon112004.asp

I've been digging for awhile - I haven't found anything concrete...

I'll keep digging...

-bf

buddhafoot

Adding this:

http://oshoworld.com/onlinebooks/BookXMLMain.asp?BookName=translations+from+hindi/finger%20pointing%20to%20the%20moon.txt

-bf

buddhafoot

More...

http://www.geocities.com/advaitavedant/adhyatma.htm

http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/Adhyatma_Upanishad.htm

http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/Adhyatma_Upanishad.htm

fofoo

:=D

I read something in a Zen Brevier a while ago, it impressed me instantly so much that I still have it in mind (as a picture), so I used the picture to come up with some words so I could google for the source (of that particular moon simile). It turned out that it is from the Song of Enlightenment or Shodoka.
Excerpt:


One moon is reflected in many waters;
All the water-moons are from the one moon.
The Dharma-body of all Buddhas has entered my own nature,
And my nature becomes one with the Tathagata.
..
Stupid ones, childish ones,
They suppose there is something in an empty fist.
They mistake the pointing finger for the moon.
They are idle dreamers lost in form and sensation.


Metta

not1not2

It appears that this is from the Shurangama Sutra -Volume 2. I do not think it is in the original Nikayas or the Agamas. I am also unaware of any other Mahayana sutras that it can be found in.

http://www.zhaxizhuoma.net/DHARMA/Tripitaka/ShurangamaSutra2.htm

Pointing a Finger at the Moon

Having received the Buddha’s compassionate rescue and profound instruction, Ánanda wept, folded his hands, and said to the Buddha, "I have heard these wonderful sounds of the Buddha and have awakened to the primal perfection of the wonderful bright mind as being the eternally dwelling mind-ground.

"But now in awakening to the Dharma-sounds that the Buddha is speaking, I know that I have been using my conditioned mind to regard and revere them. Having just become aware of that mind, I dare yet claim to recognize that fundamental mind-ground.

"I pray that the Buddha will be compassionate and with his perfect voice explain to us in order to pull our doubts out by the roots and enable us to return to the unsurpassed Way."

The Buddha told Ánanda, "You and others like you still listen to the Dharma with the conditioned mind, and so the Dharma becomes conditioned as well, and you do not obtain the Dharma-nature. This is similar to a person pointing his finger at the moon to show it to someone else. Guided by the finger, the other person should see the moon. If he looks at the finger instead and mistakes it for the moon, he loses not only the moon but the finger also. Why, because he mistakes the pointing finger for the bright moon.

"Not only does he lose the finger, but he also fails to recognize light and darkness. Why? He mistakes the solid matter of the finger for the bright nature of the moon, and so he does not understand the two natures of light and darkness. The same is true of you.

...

metta
_/\_

not1not2

BTW, the Shurangama is generally accepted in Zen/Chan circles, though there has been some debate as to its authenticity. Nonetheless, this metaphor can be found quite prevalently in Zen works & teachings.

Here's an article on the subject for those interested:
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/authenticity.htm

metta
_/\_