The Zen master, without hesitating, took up his brush and wrote: Attention. His student, a bit dismayed, asked, “Is that all?” Without a word, the master took to his brush again, and wrote, Attention. Attention. His student, feeling that was not so profound, got a bit irritated, complaining to the master there was nothing so wise about that. Again the master responded in silence, writing Attention. Attention. Attention. Frustrated, the student demanded to know what he meant by that word, attention. To which the master replied, “Attention means attention.”1
