There was once a monk who lived high in the mountains. He was poor and had no possessions. He lived on berries and leaves and the sight of the mountains. His being was full of their beauty, and through them he acquired wisdom. One day a thief came upon the monk and, seeing he was poor, apologized for the intrusion and was about to leave when the monk stopped him. "I have these clothes and you cannot go away empty handed," said the monk. And he gave the thief his clothes. Alone, the monk sat sipping water from an earthen cup when suddenly he saw the mountains and the sky and the beauty of his surroundings reflected in the water he was sipping. "Poor thief," said the monk to himself. "I could not give him this."