The tree and the Moon

On a cloudless Krishna Trayodasi night, the cusp of a twig seemingly points 
towards the resplendent Moon. One blessed with a keen alert eye will see either 
branch of the twig as being the guide that steers the vision towards the Moon. 
One blessed with wisdom will realize that it is the Moon alone that illumines 
the very branch, verily Its shimmer that enlivens the twigs as it were to be 
beacons of Its very vision. One can either lose oneself in the contours of the 
twig, or utilize the twig to gain the vision of the Moon and having thus gained, 
ensure that one's gaze is ever transfixed upon That, without getting distracted 
by the tree. That vision, is to be had, if the eyesight is sharp, and if the 
instrument of the eye - the lens - is clean and transparent. Which twig to make 
use of matters little if the lens is opaque. Rendering the lens clear requires 
the lotion of Grace from the Guru, and the tapas of one's own untiring 
self-effort - at what?  certainly not at a painstaking study of the tree through 
a futile abd blurred vision - but at developing shatsampatti, at developing 
daivi sampat - coupled with vairAgya borne tyAga - tasks I daresay are far more 
formidable and hence readily avoided by most. Once the lens is clean, the 
evershining Moon will doubtless bless the eyes with Its pristine vision - 
tasyaisa AtmA vivrnute tanUm syAm.