A Zen Story - No Work, No Food
”No Work, No Food” highlights the importance of integrating work and spiritual practice.
Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.
The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.
That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. "He may be angry because we have hidden his tools," the pupils surmised. "We had better put them back."
The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: "No work, no food."
”No Work, No Food” highlights the importance of integrating work and spiritual practice. Hyakujo's dedication to labor, even at an advanced age, demonstrates that everyday activities are integral to Zen practice. His statement, "No work, no food," encapsulates the principle that physical labor and sustenance are interconnected with spiritual discipline.
When the pupils hide Hyakujo's tools, their well-meaning action disrupts the harmony of his routine, leading him to abstain from eating. This abstinence is a lesson, not a punishment, showing that without engaging in work, one cannot fully participate in life. By resuming work upon retrieving his tools, Hyakujo reinstates the balance between effort and reward.
This little story teaches that true Zen practice involves finding mindfulness and presence in all activities, blending the spiritual with the mundane. It reminds practitioners that enlightenment is not separate from daily life but is found within it, through consistent, mindful engagement with every task.