A Mirror of the Moon

A Mirror of the Moon

A riveting account of a transcendental miracle of Divine as chronicled by Dr. John Hislop in Sanathana Sarathi, May 1974.

Early on the morning of Dec. 8, 1973, Swami departed Prasanthi Nilayam for Brindavan. After an hour or so of driving, he directed the three accompanying cars to turn off the road to a clearing in an uninhabited area of the forest. Everyone got out. Baba was in a delightful mood, moving about among the party and cracking jokes with the men.

Beside the picnic area was a wood-apple tree with a few large wood-apples in view in the upper branches. The men tried to knock some of these to the ground by throwing stones, but without success. One small wood-apple, about two inches in diameter, did fall to the ground, and Baba picked it up.

Holding the small wood-apple between thumb and forefinger against the morning sun, Baba said, “Here is the moon.” Then he closed the small object in his hand for a moment, and when his hand opened, the wood-apple had disappeared, and in its place there was a most extraordinary object.

The object was a translucent disk (of stone?) thin at the edges thicker at the centre. It reflected light in a brilliant way, and throughout its body there was a puzzling variety of modifications. There were dark areas of uneven shape and size; there were short and longer veins of luminous mineral-like materials of all shades of colour; there were specks and dots of colour that reflected brightly in the sunlight. The total effect of the disk was one of great beauty.

Everyone gazed at the object with intense interest and wonderment. Holding the disk to the sun, Baba said that it was the moon in miniature, comprised of the moon’s matter; that it was a mirror of the moon.” Nobody understood what he meant, and we started to ask questions. At length, we understood that the two sided disk was an accurate miniature in stone and minerals of the two sides of the moon.

It was as if one were to photograph the moon as it is seen from Earth, and then to journey to the opposite side of the moon and photograph that side. Each side photographed would appear on a photographic plate as a circular disk. Thus, one side of the translucent disk created by Baba mirrored one side of the moon, and the other side of the translucent disk mirrored the opposite side of the moon. The darker, unevenly shaped areas on the disk were the very large features of the moon’s surface; the brightly reflecting specks and dots were individual mountains and smaller mountain ranges; the shorter and longer veins of brilliant varicoloured minerals were additional features of the moon’s landscape.

Indeed, the visual modifications to be seen in the disk were so complex that we did not readily understand them. Baba said that the mineralized appearance of the luminous features of the disk were in fact moon minerals, that they could be seen in the disk because it was thin and therefore translucent, and that the same mineralization was in the moon itself. The miniature moon was exact and fully accurate, and were there to be a photographic enlargement, scientists would at once recognize all the landscape features with which they were familiar.

At this point, food taken from the cars was ready, and the ladies of the party served a delicious breakfast. I had the moon-disk in my hand, so I put it in the pocket of my jacket and kept it there. After breakfast, with a smile, Baba held out his hand, and I reached in my pocket and returned the moon-disk to him. He again held the disk up to the sun, and all along the edge of the disk there was the rich golden light. Baba said, “See there is the sunrise!.”

After every one admired the golden light, Swami again closed his hand, the moon-disk was gone, and in its place was the original small wood-apple.

A Mirror of the Moon – A Divine Reflection On Purity, Mind, And Inner Light

A Mirror of the Moon is a beautiful spiritual theme that reminds us how the human mind can reflect divine light when it becomes calm, clean, and steady. The moon does not produce its own light; it reflects the light of the sun. In the same way, the purified heart reflects the grace of God and spreads peace, beauty, and comfort to others.

In ordinary life, the mind is often disturbed by desires, worries, anger, jealousy, pride, and fear. When the mind is restless, it cannot reflect truth clearly. Just as a shaking mirror cannot show a clear image, a disturbed mind cannot recognize the presence of the Divine within. Spiritual practice helps the mind become still and bright.

A Mirror of the Moon teaches that purity is necessary for reflection. If the mirror is covered with dust, it cannot show light properly. Similarly, when the heart is covered with selfishness, ego, and negative thoughts, divine love cannot shine fully through life. Prayer, service, truthfulness, and self-control slowly remove this inner dust.

The moon also represents coolness and peace. In a world filled with heat from anger, competition, pressure, and restlessness, the devotee should become like the moon, spreading calmness instead of agitation. Gentle speech, patient listening, forgiving nature, and compassionate action can bring cooling comfort to those who are suffering.

A Mirror of the Moon also reminds us that the beauty of life is not in pride, but in reflection. The moon does not boast of its brightness. It silently reflects the light it receives. A spiritual person should also remain humble. Whatever talent, wisdom, love, or strength we have is a gift of divine grace. Humility makes the heart more beautiful.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba often taught that the heart must be purified so that divine love can shine through it. He reminded devotees that God is within every being. But this truth is experienced only when the mind becomes clean and quiet. Without inner purity, even sacred teachings may remain only words.

A Mirror of the Moon becomes meaningful when we understand the role of silence. The moon shines quietly in the night sky. It does not make noise, yet its presence is felt. In the same way, a person of inner peace need not speak loudly or show spiritual pride. A calm presence, loving action, and pure conduct can inspire others silently.

The moon also changes in appearance, becoming full, half, or hidden, yet its essence remains the same. Human life also passes through changing phases: joy, sorrow, success, failure, clarity, confusion, strength, and weakness. But the divine Self within remains pure and untouched. Spiritual wisdom helps us remember this truth during every phase of life.

A Mirror of the Moon teaches that the mind must turn toward the Divine just as the moon receives light from the sun. If the mind turns only toward worldly desires, it becomes restless. If it turns toward God through prayer, bhajan, meditation, and service, it becomes peaceful. The direction of the mind decides the quality of life.

Service is one of the best ways to polish the inner mirror. When we help others without expecting praise, ego becomes weaker and compassion becomes stronger. Feeding the hungry, comforting the sad, helping the sick, respecting elders, and guiding children are all ways of allowing divine light to reflect through our actions.

A Mirror of the Moon also teaches that reflection should be pure, not distorted. If we claim to love God but speak harshly, act selfishly, or hurt others, then the divine light is not being reflected properly. True devotion should make our words gentle, our thoughts clean, and our actions helpful. The world should feel peace through our presence.

The night sky becomes beautiful when the moon shines, and human life becomes beautiful when goodness shines through character. Wealth, position, and outer success may impress people for some time, but purity, kindness, patience, and love leave a lasting impression. A good heart is the brightest ornament of life.

In the end, A Mirror of the Moon is a sacred reminder to purify the mind and reflect divine grace. When the heart becomes calm, humble, loving, and selfless, it becomes a clear mirror for God’s light. Such a life brings peace to oneself and comfort to others, turning ordinary living into a quiet offering of beauty, devotion, and divine love.

The Revelation