Bodhisattvas, we should not say we are too busy to come to practice. Nor should we say we are too tired, too sick, or too far away. In our culture, we have mutually convinced ourselves that we are always too busy. “Too busy” is just distracted, disordered mind.
In ancient China there was an outdoor altar known as the moon altar. Our life should be like this moon altar, lit by the light of the ever-changing phases of the moon. The crescent moon does not fret about when it will get around to being full, nor does it fret about waning and going dark. The moon just shines completely, no matter whether it is full, new, or a quarter moon. Because the moon is not distracted by thoughts of another moon, it is always full, and its light extends throughout the entire universe. The meaning of light extending throughout the universe is that the moon altar can be realized by anyone at any time. To realize the moon altar, just practice single-mindedly. Do not allow your mind to become fragmented into this and that phase, even as conditions change.
