I’m reminded of this:

“[Students], the teaching is merely a vehicle to describe the truth. Don’t mistake it for the truth itself. A finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. The finger is needed to know where to look for the moon, but if you mistake the finger for the moon itself, you will never know the real moon.”

—Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha