Ryokan
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain.
One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.
Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may 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. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”
The thief
Left it behind-
The moon at the window.
posted by Michiel at Tuesday, August 01, 2006
3 Comments:
Beautiful story. Do you know what it means?
Hey RT, when I first read this reply I could not make out if you were joking and or being serious. I would like to know your interpretation of this thought?
We live in such a violent country and we are so deep in our shit that we cannot even see the stress we carry with us. I am tired of living like this. There is more to life than being a prisoner in one’s own home but the criminals are free to roam the streets.
I always say to people……. We now have apartheid again but this time in reverse.
The minority criminals rule the majority good people.
I am ready to, in the next 5 years (my plan) to move to Bonaire or one of the islands in the Caribbean. Still have my house and business here but do business in a Global manner as we are being pushed (or opportunities presenting themselves to us) in this way.
I am a child of the earth and cannot show any patriotism to any culture, country, flag etc.
A Dinosaur lifted his leg here where my house is built now 85 Million years ago and had a big wee right here and then walked to Pretoria and did the same thing there then walked to Pilansberg and did the same thing there, and then walked to Krugersdorp and did the same thing there. And then came back and lay down under some trees that used to grow here a looooong time ago.
NOW….. Every female that came into this “Territory” he tried to mate with and every male that came into this “Territory” he tried to kill.
And to think that I have the audacity to want to think that this is “MY” home, I own it??
What will be here where I live in another 85 Million years??
Can I lose everything but not lose the lessons? Can I be happy and content with nothing? NO earthly possessions?
I think I can!!
YOU OWN YOUR POSSESSIONS AND YOUR POSSESSIONS OWN YOU!!
I was going into town the other day from Midrand and the sun was busy setting. A lot of people were in the traffic on their way back to Pretoria. The sunset was one of the most awesome I have seen in a long time and just had the most awesome present moment experience right there and then. A moment of pure bliss and thankfulness for being able to be an observer to the creator of the universe.
I wonder how many people sitting in their cars driving home listening to the shit on the news actually saw the sunset and the clouds on their left hand side and realised that happiness is within and not in what you drive and or own.
I rest my case.
Ryokan is a master indeed. He has no attachment to earthly belongings, and no ego either. If he were bound by either of these he would have chased the thief away screaming and cursing. Instead he had enough love in his heart to part with his belongings because he knew that the man in his hut still had physical attachment as well as need.
He would have loved to be able to give the thief (whom he did not see as a thief but a 'visitor) the moon. Giving someone the moon will do no good if the receiver did not have it in him to appreciate the gift because naturally it is not a physical gift. That is why Ryokan calls him "poor fellow". He feels truly sorry for any man who has need as well as any man who cannot see the gifts of spirit and soul - non-tangiable things.
Ryokan had nothing left after he gave the man his clothes but he still appreciated the moon. It will always be there and it speaks to him in his heart and in his soul only because he knows how to listen. The thief will not hear the voice of the moon until he wakes up to spirit and soul.
My own interpretation.
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