Mystery of moon

A personal experience:

Naomi JAYASINGHE

The moonlight which is smooth and takes different shapes at different times is what all little children should observe. Have you seen the different shapes of the moon? Sometimes it is like a crescent (cycle) and sometimes it takes its opposite. Sometimes it is nowhere to be seen and sometimes it is big, round and sparkling - the full moon. These are the four stages of the moon that can be seen from the earth.

Moonlight in wilderness. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

When the moon is big and round it is the light which is so brilliant that it spreads its beauty like an angel spreading her arms wide and embracing us with her smooth touch.

On this Vesak nightfall all the city will be filled with millions of multicolored bulbs of the pandals, Vesak lanterns and buckets. It is like a paradise on earth and when you look up at the sky you will see the full moon with all her starry companions appear brilliantly like a huge feast of light.

When my two-year old son, Sanjana, asked me and my father-in-law about the beauty of the magical light, he explained that handahamy brings children milk and honey. My son said it is like a huge cheese ball. That's his knowledge.

I kept on staring at moon with him and then I told him that there is a small figure printed on it. It is the shape of a rabbit. Then he asked whether there is a rabbit really in the moon. I told him that long time ago the god Sakka disguised himself as a pauper, and seeing a rabbit, asked him for food. The rabbit that had no food to offer him, jumped to the fire as he would be considered food of the pauper. The god Sakka was so pleased by the meritorious act of the rabbit and put him on the moon as a symbol of innocence.

So when you watch the moon hereafter observe its beauty when you want the magical light to soothe you.