Ryonan, a Zen master, lived a simple life in a small hut at the foot of a mountain.
One evening a thief broke into his hut and was surprised to find that there was nothing there to steal. Soon, Ryonan returned and found the thief.
“You came such a long way to visit me,” Ryonan said to the tramp. “And you shouldn’t come back empty-handed.” Please take my clothes as a gift.
The thief was dumbfounded. He took the clothes and slowly left.
Ryonan sat naked in front of the hut, admiring the moon.
“Poor guy,” he said thoughtfully. “I would so much like to give him this beautiful moon.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru