Zen: Showing up for work

When Ikkyu was abbot of Daitokuji, a layman approached him and said: "Master, you are renowned both for your wisdom and the beauty of your calligraphy. It would be a great honour for me if you would write down some words of guidance which I could hang on my wall and reflect upon."

Ikkyu took up his writing brush and, with a flourish, wrote the single word Attention on a sheet of paper.

"Attention?" the layman said.  "Could you elaborate?"

Ikkyu wrote a second time, Attention.

"That’s not much," t...