Tojo's Lesson

“Zen Master Tenzen! Good morning.” - the new student beamed as he greeted him.

‘TOJO!” Sit.

So it was that morning at 9:30am after breakfast that TOJO sat as he was told.

“TOJO!” you see this door?

‘Yes Zen Master Tenzen’

“Walk through the door TOJO”

Tojo walks through the door.

“Okay now TOJO, come back here.”

Tojo bows his head, and happily walks through, arms waving, thinking he is absolutely acing this one.

“Okay TOJO. GOOD!” - he gestures, pleasantly, moves his hands as if to say try again.

So Tojo walks through one more time.

“Good Tojo. Come back now and please, walk through that door!”

Again Tojo walks through the door.

“Master” he beams again “What is the purpose of this lesson?”

“TOJO! Walk through ONE more time. And you will understand the lesson.”

So Tojo, one final time, strides through the door. Now absolutely confused. A tinge of fear grips his soul…

As he is about to finish his final step, he feels the hardest smack of his life. As if he’s been whipped. He grips his back. And waits.

“TOJO. You walk through the door. Not half walk. Not a bit. But fully! So why is it at meditation this morning, you started at 3:47 not 3:45 as you were told? Can one walk through a door halfway?”

No master.

“Well then. Walk Fully through the door.”