Immortality and the Moon Rabbit

White-Rabbit-making-elixir-of-immortality (1)

Embroidery by An artist from the Qing emperors’ court [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

What do you see in the patterns in the moons surface?

I was always guided to see a human face on the moon, and I was surprised to find out that many people see a rabbit in the moon. A rabbit that has a surprising connection to immortality.

In Chinese legends, the moon rabbit stands with a mortar and pestle and grinds herbs for his immortal companion, Chang’e, the moon goddess.  In Japan and Korea, moon rabbit is simply smashing rice for rice cakes.

Rabbit_in_the_moon_standing_by_pot2

The Rabbit In the Moon

Those cultures have swapped technologies, ideas and even religions. The cultures admire and wish for long life, but only China’s Moon Rabbit concerns itself with the eternal. Why the difference?

 

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