One Light

So sitting on the patio the other evening drinking Hawk in the Heavens sake, the moon had risen and I somewhat absent-mindedly began to contemplate the familiar crescent shape. What’s blocking the moon? I wondered trying to recall a time when I was a smarter fifth grader. Definitely not the sun, I reasoned, because the sun is further away…so what is getting in the way?
Well it did take me another minute or two to re-realize that one, the moon was not shining with it own light — that it was reflecting light from the sun and two, the sun must be somewhere behind me for me to see its light reflected on the moon. Then, of course, the answer was clear; it was the earth itself, representing me, that was partially blocking the light of the sun.
And isn’t that how it is, I smiled, how often do we mistakenly take the “obstruction” to be somewhere out there — something other than our self — rather than our self itself to be the “obstruction?”

“The sun neither heats nor gives light.” Gurdjieff

“The sun gives neither heat nor light; the light we perceive is the projection of our own light on the dark sphere.” Upasni Maharaj

“One light, light that is one though the lamps be many.” The Incredible String Band.