Abstract
One day a man of the people said to Zen Master Ikkyu: ‘Master, will you please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?’ Ikkyu immediately took his brush and wrote the word ‘Attention’. ‘Is that all’ asked the man. ‘Will you not add something more?’ Ikkyu then wrote twice running: ‘Attention. Attention.’ ‘Well’ remarked the man rather irritably, ‘I really don't see much depth or sublety in what you have Just written’. Then Ikkyu wrote the same word three times running. ‘Attention. Attention. Attention.’ Half-angered the man demanded: ‘What does that word ‘attention’ mean anyway?’ And Ikkyu answered gently: ‘Attention, means attention.’