The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
Ryokan was meditating in his hut one night when a thief entered.
Finding nothing of value, the thief was leaving empty-handed.
Ryokan called out, "
Wait!
You have come so far.
Take my clothes as a gift." The bewildered thief took the robe and fled.
Sitting naked in his doorway, Ryokan gazed at the sky. "Poor man," he sighed. "I wish I could have given him this magnificent moon."
Reflection
Ryokan's gentle generosity toward a thief, followed by his wish to give him the moon, illustrates the ultimate gift: that which cannot be stolen. The story contrasts the poverty of material possessions with the limitless wealth of the awakened mind. Ryokan gives his only robe, but his heart is full. The moon represents the luminous nature of reality available to everyone.