Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

A late-night story told on a worn-out porch, “The Same Moon” is a bluesy folk parable about an old teacher and a young student. It explores the timeless Zen wisdom of the “finger pointing at the moon”—the idea that teachings and scriptures are only signposts, not the destination itself.

Driven by a fingerpicked acoustic guitar and a haunting harmonica, the song has a raw, honest feel reminiscent of early Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. It’s a reminder that true understanding doesn’t come from memorizing the words of others, but from looking up and seeing the truth for yourself—the same moon that shines for us all.

A song for late-night reflection and quiet moments.

Lyrics: 
(Music Begins: A lone, mournful harmonica melody over a simple, fingerpicked acoustic guitar riff in G)

(Verse 1) 
Well, the night was black, the ink was on the page 
I was lookin’ for the wisdom of a long-gone age 
Read them golden letters ’til my eyes went blind 
Tryin’ to soothe this restless, troubled mind of mine.

(Verse 2) 
The old man sat, he didn’t say a word 
Just the quietest lesson that I ever heard 
He raised a weathered hand up to the sky 
And pointed with a tired old twinkle in his eye.

(Chorus) 
He said, “Son, it ain’t no sacred mystery 
It’s the same moon for you, the same moon for me. 
I ain’t pointin’ to no master’s holy light 
Just the same old moon, shinin’ in the night.”

(Harmonica fill, short and soulful)

(Verse 3) 
But I stared so hard at that crooked hand of his 
I thought the pointin’ was the thing that is 
I studied every wrinkle, every scar and line 
Mistook the dusty bottle for the sacred wine.

(Verse 4) 
I built a church around that finger in the air 
Said my prayers to a knuckle and a nail up there 
Forgot about the darkness, forgot about the sky 
Just the holy hand that was showin’ me the lie.

(Chorus) 
But he said, “Son, it ain’t no sacred mystery 
It’s the same moon for you, the same moon for me. 
I ain’t pointin’ to no master’s holy light 
Just the same old moon, shinin’ in the night.”

(Bridge) 
Then a quiet wind blew through the cypress tree 
And I felt his patient eyes lookin’ right past me 
So I lifted up my head, let my own vision climb… 
And I saw that silver dollar for the very first time. 
It wasn’t his, Lord, it was mine.

(Chorus – a bit stronger now, with harmony vocal) 
And I heard, “Son, it ain’t no sacred mystery 
It’s the same moon for you, the same moon for me. 
I ain’t pointin’ to no master’s holy light 
Just the same old moon, shinin’ in the night.”

(Outro) 
(Acoustic guitar riff continues, slows down. The harmonica plays a final, resolved melody that hangs in the air and then fades to silence.)