Excerpt: The Thief and the Moon
A Zen master lived a simple life in his hut near the mountains. 

When he was away one night, a thief broke in only to find nothing worth stealing.

Just then the Zen master returned. “You have traveled far to visit me,” he told the thief. “I cannot let you leave without giving you something. Please accept my clothes as a gift.”

The baffled thief took the clothes and left.

Naked now, the master looked up at the moon. “Poor man,” he sighed. “How I wish I could give him this wonderful moon.’”

Discuss:

• What do you think brings a greater sense of meaning in life — giving or stealing?
• Which of the two men in this story (the Zen master or the thief) do you think had a greater sense of meaning in their life?
• You don’t need to give everything you have to feel a sense of purpose, but what is one thing you can give?