There is a story of a thief and a zen master. The thief breaks into the master’s home to rob him, only to discover that the master owns nothing. Seeing the thief has worked hard for nothing, the zen master gives the thief the clothes off his back. After the perplexed thief departs, the naked zen master gazes out of his window.
“I wish I could have given him this moon, too,” he says.
I see the backyard radiated in the glow of a harvest moon. Or I see the bank of clouds brighten behind its hidden, reflected light. How often have I experienced both.
Would that I savored either with the equanimity of a naked zen master, gazing at the full moon.
a distant howl
answered by another
Hunter’s moon
I’m hosting over at dVerse today, where we celebrate the moon. The pub is open! Come join us!
Share the love. Spread the haikai:
Categories: haikai, haiku community
Frank J. Tassone 
I love how you jumped from the harvest moon to the hunter’s moon in the haiku… it’s a month time to ponder the zen-master
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Thank you, Bjorn! 🙂
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There is so much wisdom in this.
Love:
“Would that I savored either with the equanimity of a naked zen master, gazing at the full moon.”
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Thank you, Shawna! 🙂
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Mindful moongazing is something I hope to do once the cloud has broken, Frank. We had a humdinger of a storm that started on Friday afternoon and continued until this morning. Trees, branches, dustbins and other things blocked roads, and we lost power and the Internet. I enjoyed your story of the thief and the zen master. I love the use of sound in your haiku.
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Thank you, Kim! 🙂
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This is beautifully profound! “Would that I savored either with the equanimity of a naked zen master, gazing at the full moon,” …. I feel this deeply 🙂 and wholeheartedly agree!
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Thank you, Sanaa! I appreciate it! 🙂
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That full moon is indeed a gift.
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Yes, it is. Thank you, Ken! 🙂
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Very zenny, Frank. I pictured every bit of it as I read. It brought happiness to read it ❤
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Thanks, Jade! 🙂
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Perfection, Frank; great balance, color, and moral. I like all things Zen. My haiku was about howling too. Add to that some in-depth word-smithing, which rates another hurrah.
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Thanks, Glenn! Here’s to the zen we keep in haiku! 🙂
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Only if more people had that attitude!
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Well written haiban.
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Thank you! 🙂
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The moon belongs to us all. (K)
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Thanks for the excellent prompt, Frank 🙂
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I enjoyed the story in your haibun. Very good!
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Your haibun takes me out of thinking about these intense times and leads me to a more soulful appreciation of life’s deeper purpose. Thank you.
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A wonderful story Frank, such an expression of caring. Fabulous haiku!
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I wonder what the zen master imagined the thief would do with the moon?
Lovely haiku, from one moon to another.
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kaykuala
The ultimate sacrifice one often extends to others may not be expected or anticipated by those receiving them. Human nature is most fortunate to be shown in its caring ways. Classic tale Frank
Hank
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Can we savor each without losing our direction? Great words for pondering!
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A lovely haibun … we are blessed with both full moons in October. Halloween may be an indoor celebration this year! But the full moon will make it spectacular.
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Indeed! Thank you! 🙂
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Oh that we all had the equilibrium of a zen master, we wouldn’t find ourselves so disconcerted by unexpected circumstances! Love this meditative haibun, Frank, and thanks for the wonderful prompt 🙂
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We should all take the time to gaze at the moon.
Lovely haiku–one full moon to the next.
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Oh, to be that unselfish as the zen master. Beautiful writing, Frank.
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