The Rabbit and the Moon

Rabbits Making Mochi in the Moon
Harada Keigaku
Woodblock print
Ca. 1850, Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
(A mochi is a Japanese rice cake)

We have wonderful exhibitions at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville and currently, I’ve been leading tours for Journey Through Japan: Myths to Manga. The exhibition will be on display through February 16, 2025.

In the first gallery is a beautiful story from Japanese folklore of how the moon is home to the rabbit. The ancient story tells a lesson that Taishakuten, the ruler of the heaven visits Earth disguised as a beggar and asks three animals to help him get food. The first, a monkey, brings him fruit, and the fox brings him fish. But when he turns to the rabbit, the rabbit says he has nothing to share but is willing to give up himself as food instead. Taishakuten is so impressed with the rabbit’s selflessness, that he places the rabbit on the moon for everyone to see and to remember the rabbit’s selflessness every time they look at the moon.

During this Advent season I’ve been pondering what this ancient story might mean to me. It is too easy for me to donate money to a local or far-off charity, similar to plucking fruit from a tree or gathering fish from the ocean. Those things really don’t belong to me, so it doesn’t mean much for me to give them away. But giving up myself; that is much harder. To spend time with a friend really listening to what is going on in their life. Sending up prayers for recent cancer diagnoses or friends who have lost loved ones this year and are not really feeling the “Christmas” spirit.

Money is important and based upon the emails and mail I’ve gotten the past two weeks, every charity could use my monetary donation. But I’m rethinking what it really means to be more like the rabbit and show up in person with the most precious gifts of time and presence.

Blessings, my friend,

Agatha