There is a Chinese tale about an old Zen Master who works
diligently in the monastery garden every day. The young monks think he should take it easy, relax. They know he won’t listen to them, so
they hide his tools. The next day,
and the next and the next, the old teacher does not eat. They young monks think, he is angry
with us. We better return his
tools. That day, the teacher works
and eats as usual. That night he
tells his students, No work, no food.
The Zen Master knows that we must each contribute as much as
we consume. We give so we can
take. We grow so we can eat. We clean so we can stay healthy. Some of us resent all the time it takes
away from more interesting pursuits.
Me, I’d rather be reading or practicing yoga. Maybe you like to watch TV more than you enjoy vacuuming. But let’s try to put WORK into
perspective this week, and see that it is not just another four-letter word.
Turn on your awareness, and watch those you come in contact
with this week. See how they
interact with their work, and try to find someone for whom work seems more like
play. In fact, I bet there are
some aspects of work that you enjoy, so be on the lookout for that, too. Then think about it (dare I say, meditate on it!).
Why do you resent vacuuming when it leaves you with a pleasantly clean
floor. Hey, maybe you should
meditate on it while you’re
vacuuming. Perhaps next time you
are writing that report at the office you can put a Buddha smile on your face
and see if your attitude changes.
You get my drift. Work with
the awareness that you will get back what you give out.
For more Zen Stories, check
out www.101zenstories.com
