Zen short story: The Chef served the master's pet chicken up, for the master's dinner
By emptychair
@innertalks (23746)
Australia
February 9, 2022 8:13pm CST
The old Zen master, Herletz Respocke, had a pet chook, which he used to dearly love, and he would collect two eggs from it every morning, and make his own breakfast from them.
One morning, he came out to his chook-pen, but his chook was no longer there.
Upon making enquiries, he was told that the new chef, had killed his chook, and was making it up into a bowl of soup, for the master's lunch, right now.
Everyone in the monastery, were then wondering how the old master would handle this situation.
Had the new chef egged him on like that on purpose?
Was he treading on tender shells now?
How would the master yoke him into line now?
The old Master never thought much about any of this at all, but enjoyed the soup, and complimented the chef on his style of cooking chicken soup.
"What type of chicken did you use there, my lad?"
he said to him then.
The chef said,
"The one in the monastery, kept for this purpose, as the last departing chef told me to do."
"Oh,"
said the old master.
"Well, well done, but next time do check with the old rooster first, as what the old chef told you might not have been in line with his, the old rooster's, own wants too. I should know my own wants too, as I am that old rooster."
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
We should learn to restrain ourselves from crowing, when somebody ruffles our feathers, as the old master did here.
3 people like this
3 responses
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
10 Feb 22
Yes, we should always show restraint like this, as even in this story, as it shows us, that the situation, as we think it to be, is usually far different than that.
Getting angry is never the answer.
"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."
Bruce Lee, the renowned martial artist, said this.
@askme123 (6223)
•
10 Feb 22
@innertalks Oh my.That is so sad.So the peasant never knew he put poison in the soup?
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
10 Feb 22
@askme123 No, he didn't know that one of his ingredients had gone off, and was now poisonous.
The Buddha was already in his eighties then.
2 people like this
@askme123 (6223)
•
10 Feb 22
@innertalks I wonder which soup ingredient turns poisonous if stays too long??
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
11 Feb 22
This really tested the composure and character of the zen master.
No ordinary mortal could have "stomached" this irrational act out to hurt and trigger anguish.
I might have reacted with - how can you be so heartless and act devoid of reason?
I am just human anyway!
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
11 Feb 22
Yes, the Zen master was a real Zen master, unruffled in his own feathers, even as his pet chicken was being defrocked of its feathers, and served up to him in a soup.
The Zen master left all of his judgement aside, until the true facts of the case came out.
It was the other departing chef who was to blame here, and as he was already gone, why should the master cast dispersions on him, and why should he spoil his new chef's delights, at making for him, the master, his first meal for the master too.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
12 Feb 22
@Shiva49 Yes, the past chef, was also a student of the master's, but he had a twin brother, who seemed to be more favoured by the master, and who had been touted, as the most likely successor to the master, when the time come for this to happen.
The twin brother was also a chef, and when the past chef decided to leave the monastery, and go elsewhere, he played this last trick on both his brother, and the master.
This was another part of the reason why the master did not react to the new chef doing this too.
He knew what was happening between the brothers, and he wanted it all to play out in the open, as an abject lesson for all of the other students to witness too.
@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
12 Feb 22
@innertalks Yes, he took a helicopter view with his enlightened approach than fly into a rage with dire consequences.
It was a done deal without recourse to bring the chook back to life.
I wonder whether the departed chef had an ax to grind to get even with the Zen master!
1 person likes this
