A Zen master lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening, while he was away, a thief sneaked¹ into the hut only to find there was nothing in it to steal. The Zen Master returned and found 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, but he took the clothes and ran away. The Master sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused², "I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."

 

一位禅师住在山脚下的小棚屋里，过着极为简朴的生活。一天夜里，一个小偷趁他外出时潜入他的家中，却发现没什么可偷的，这时禅师回来了，正好和小偷撞了个满怀。

 

他对这个不速之客说：“你路途遥远来拜访我，总不能空手而归吧，请把我的衣服带走吧，就当我送你的礼物。”

 

小偷有些懵了，但还是带上衣服仓皇而逃。禅师赤身裸体地坐着，凝望明月. “可怜的朋友，”他沉思到：“我多希望能送你这轮明月啊。”