  We compute the pion light-cone wave function and the pion quark distribution
amplitude in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. We use the Pauli-Villars
regularization method and as a result the distribution amplitude satisfies
proper normalization and crossing properties. In the chiral limit we obtain the
simple results, namely phi_pi(x)=1 for the pion distribution amplitude, and
<k_perp^2> = -M <ubar u> / f_pi^2 for the second moment of the pion light-cone
wave function, where M is the constituent quark mass and f_pi is the pion decay
constant. After the QCD Gegenbauer evolution of the pion distribution amplitude
good end-point behavior is recovered, and a satisfactory agreement with the
analysis of the experimental data from CLEO is achieved. This allows us to
determine the momentum scale corresponding to our model calculation, which is
close to the value Q_0 = 313 MeV obtained earlier from the analogous analysis
of the pion parton distribution function. The value of <k_perp^2> is, after the
QCD evolution, around (400 MeV)^2. In addition, the model predicts a linear
integral relation between the pion distribution amplitude and the parton
distribution function of the pion, which holds at the leading-order QCD
evolution.
