This Beautiful Moon

A Zen Koan

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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 to steal.

The Zen Master returned and caught 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. He took the clothes and slunk away.

The Zen Master sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon.”

This is a Koan we discuss in our Spiritual Exploration Sessions.  Just one of many facets of Serenity Vista's holistic approach to treating alcoholism and other forms of addiction and codependency.

What does this Koan mean to you? What parts of yourself are represented by the thief, the master, the hut, the mountain, the clothes, the beautiful moon?

These Koans have been discussed and debated for centuries. Zen can be powerful metaphors and guides to recovery. Opportunities to practice mindfulness, be open to challenging long-held beliefs, and to look at what the world presents in new ways with awe and wonder.

The Zen of Recovery is a recommended book. If it makes perfect sense to you – be suspect !