The phrase expresses a Zen-like scene:

 

“In front of the garden there is the moon, yet the pine casts no shadow;

the entire scene seems to exist outside the ordinary frame of the world.”

 

The contradiction — a bright moon but no shadow — symbolizes:

• a state beyond logic or duality

• spiritual clarity or enlightenment

• a realm that transcends everyday perception

 

“Outside the frame” (欄外) suggests a reality that lies beyond conventional boundaries.