The Moon Cannot Be Stolen #
January 6th, 2008 | In Worth Considering
Here’s a worthy idea for a Sunday:
A Zen master lived a simple life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing to steal.
The master returned and caught him. “You have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift.”
The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”
I confess I also liked it because it reminded me of something I wrote.