By Daniel Stambler

 This famous Zen story is about Ryokan, the Japanese Zen master who lived alone in a hut at the foot of a mountain. He lived in abject poverty, eating local plants and the rice that neighboring farmers would sometimes give him. His little hut was empty, he slept on the ground and spent his days meditating on a rock.

One evening a thief crawled through the window (the door, as always, was unlocked, unbeknownst to the robber), but discovered that there was absolutely nothing to steal in the hut. At this point Ryokan returned from his walk and caught the thief searching the room.

He approached the thief and warmly shook his hand. The thief was so surprised. Ryokan told the prowler, "You must have come a long way to visit me, and you shouldn't leave empty-handed."  Ryokan looked around the empty room, but he too couldn't find anything to give him, so he took off his only robe and handed it to the robber.
"Please, take my clothes as a gift," Ryokan said.

The thief was too astonished to say anything, and he took the robe and slunk away into the cold night. Ryokan sat naked and gazed at the full moon through the window. "Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon."

A wise fool or a foolish sage? 
 
In Zen literature Ryokan is the wise fool, the figure who challenges our concepts of how things should be and reminds us of a more essential way of being.  In this story the fool is depicted as the perfect host. A host to a robber, no less!

But one could ask if Ryokan is condoning the thief's criminal way of life - even rewarding him for it, by giving the thief his robe? Shouldn't Ryokan at least have tried to talk to the guy and instruct him in some basic morals? Wasn't it his responsibility as a Zen master to help the robber realize the folly of his wayward life?

Ryokan's skill

 Of course, that is just what Ryokan does in the most effective way. In Buddhism there is the notion of "skillful means," which is knowing the best thing to do in each situation, and doing it. It will always be different, and there are many examples of how the Buddha would teach differently according to each person's needs and inclinations.

In a simple metaphor, while water puts out a wood fire, using water to extinguish an oil fire will not help.

Thief or Master - everybody is worthy of love

If Ryokan scolded the thief, or even dragged him off to the police, he would have done just what the thief would have expected. The thief would probably continue to think of himself as a thief with everyone against him. Ryokan sees the person behind the thief, and shows him that he cares for him as an equal human being. He offers him the hospitality that Ryokan believes is due to every person who steps into his hut.

Ryokan instructs the thief in the most important lesson there is, that he is a human being worthy of respect and honor, of love and friendship. Perhaps then, after being seen as such in the eyes of Ryokan, the thief will begin to view himself as much more than a thief and act accordingly.

Ryokan is a rich man

There is something even deeper going on here, however. A naked Ryokan gazes wistfully up at the moon and wishes he could give it to the poor chap. Ryokan, naked and cold in his empty hut, still can look up at the moon with wonder and appreciate its sublime beauty. He has nothing in the world, but at the same time he has everything.

Ryokan feels so deeply connected to the world and to others that he feels absolutely no lack. The gift that Ryokan really wishes to have given the robber is the awareness of our deep connection with the world and a sense of completeness which lacks nothing. This connection cannot be stolen or bought, but only realized within oneself. Naked and poor, Ryokan was the richest man in the world. If only he could have given the thief that moon!

Focusing on what you have and not what you lack

A feeling of lack is one of the most pervasive emotions in our lives. Sometimes we don't even fully recognize it, but immediately run for what we believe will fill our lives, thinking that the next thing on our agenda will make us happy or satisfied.

We could be craving something small - like a cup of coffee - or something as big as a relationship or career. And many times the more we fill our lives we things we think we need, the less fulfilled life may seem to be.

When was the last time you actually took the time to watch the moon with sweet joy and wonder, not needing anything else in that moment? Are we able to give ourselves and others the gift of a simple moment? Even when we don't see it, the moon is always full. An eternal light in the night sky. So why not, give yourself the moon?

An article from Essence of Life,www.eolife.org  

For more photographs by Alaistair Worden, please visit www.westcoastphoto1.com