FOOD & PENS ( a Zen Koan play)
3 scenes: 1st inside a Zen temple
2nd inside a student’s modest kitchen
3rd inside a Zen temple
3 characters: the Zen master, the devoted student, the student’s wife
props: a bowl of food, chopsticks, notebook, The Lotus Sutra (book), small low wooden kitchen table,
cooking pot, some mats, a bowl of pens
SCENE 1:
(inside a Zen temple)
Koan opens with master lecturing to his obedient student who sits in perfect lotus posture totally absorbed
in transcribing every word and syllable uttered by his teacher. This sort of obsession on the part of
the student has been going on for some time, seven days a week. The student sits writing trance-like,
oblivious to everything else, his only reality a pen and notebook and the teachings.
(the duration for this scene should last about 2-3 minutes)
SCENE 2:
(the student’s modest kitchen)
The student enters his kitchen at dinnertime, carrying his constant companions: his notebook and pen.
His wife is busy preparing dinner. Suppertime and bedtime are the only occasions husband and wife spend
time together these days, and the wife, back to him, non-verbally shows her frustration, with grimaces,
turning around once or twice to reproach him, but repressing, etc. Meanwhile, the husband washes himself
and sits at the table in silence. Finally, the wife, turns, hesitates, comes to the low table, both bowing to each
other, and places a bowl of pens in front of him.
Student: (surprised and flustered) What?! Why do you serve me these pens for supper, wife? How can I ever
have my fill?
Wife: (stares back blankly showing no emotion)
SCENE 3:
(inside a Zen temple)
Again as in the 1st Scene, the master lectures and the student again frantic with notetaking, when at some
point his pen runs out of ink. Checking his shirt pocket, he realizes he has no other implement, and so
respectfully waits until there is a pause in the lecture to ask for another pen.
Student: Master, excuse this interruption, but may I please have another pen; this one seems to be out of ink?
The master, gazes searchingly and incredulously at his student for a moment, turns, walks off the stage,
and returns, his face bemused, with a bowl of rice, which he carefully places at the student’s feet.
The student lays aside his notebook and pen, looks quizzically at his master, bows his head (the gesture is
returned by the master), and as the scene closes, the student accepts the bowl of food.
Bisbee, Az
1980
