To the moon I call out: “Oh, god of the moon! May you watch over my friends around the world for another night! Gently illuminate the footsteps of those who walk our noble path! Please give comfort to the hearts of all those who are suffering.”
With this thought, I snap the shutter. I want to imprint in the scrapbook of eternity the scene that is momentarily reflected in my heart.
It was March 1, 1999, the night before the full moon. Still waxing, the yet incomplete disk was a divine display of “imperfect perfection.” …
The moon calls out to all on Earth: “Are you living with a generous and an open heart?” “Are you kind to others?” “Are you walking the path of integrity, true to yourself?” Though no one may be watching, the moon knows these things, for it dwells also in the firmament of our hearts.
The moon is like a ship that ferries our spirit to the heavens. Its pristine light soothes and purifies hearts tired from a day’s work. It invites us to soar high toward its sublime, cool serenity, beyond the reach of any authority, vanity or greed.
How often since my youth have I received silent encouragement from the elegant yet stern light of the moon! It has inspired me to work by day with the energy of the sun and to reflect by night under moonlit skies upon myself and my life. It has encouraged me to consider the wonder of my existence here and now amid all eternity and the boundless expanse of space.
And so, at 5 that evening, I stood before my tripod awaiting the moonrise. The Kyushu Leaders Conference was soon to begin; everyone was waiting. There were manuscripts I had to complete. Despite this, I wanted to seize the moment and converse with the moon; through the moon, I wanted to communicate my thoughts to countless friends. …
Gazing at this palace of light, my mind seems to extend and disappear into space; my life, now enfolded by the cosmos, struggles to return the embrace. I once again call to the moon, “From your elevated place in the origin of time, please illuminate us on Earth! Shine your light of philosophy upon the troubled and wandering human race! May you shed your warm light on the future of my friends, princes and princesses of the cosmos, who are everywhere emerging from the Earth!”
Adapted from an essay in Our Beautiful Earth: Photos and Essays of My Travels, by Daisaku Ikeda, April 2, 2000, Seikyo Press, Tokyo, Japan.
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