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.

一位禪師住在山腳下的小棚屋里，過著極為簡樸的生活。一天夜里，一個(gè)小偷趁他外出時(shí)潛入他的家里，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)沒什么可偷的，這個(gè)時(shí)候禪師回來了，正好和小偷撞了個(gè)滿懷。

他對這個(gè)不速之客說：你路途遙遠(yuǎn)來拜訪我，總不可以空手而歸吧，請把我的衣服帶走吧，就當(dāng)我送你的禮物。

小偷有的懵了，但還是帶上衣服倉皇而逃。禪師一絲不掛地坐著，凝望明月. 可憐的朋友，他沉思到：我多期望能送你這輪明月啊。