Ernest Cadorin
The Oil in the Spoon
2020/03/12Live Well, Live Responsibly
Karate-do teaches us more than just how to punch and kick well. It teaches us how to live well. In the article I wrote about intelligent sparring, I said that we can often do what we want, but we must always do what the situation requires. If we ignore the requirements of the situation, we will fail. This statement applies not only to sparring, but to many aspects of our lives, and while I was writing it, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories.
The story is about a boy who went to spend some time with a well-known teacher on the advice of his father. When the boy arrived at the teacher’s house, he saw that the teacher was hosting a party. The boy explained why he had come, and the teacher welcomed him in and handed him a spoon. As the boy held the spoon, the teacher filled it with oil and instructed the boy to visit every room in the house, oil and spoon in hand, and report back to him with his observations.
The boy explored the house as directed and returned to the teacher with the spoon full of oil. When the teacher asked him what he had seen, the boy admitted that he hadn’t seen very much because he had been so focused on not spilling the oil. The teacher instructed him to do it again.
The boy repeated the exercise, and when he returned to the teacher the second time, he was able to recount what he had seen in great detail. He described the paintings that decorated each room, the food that was being served to the guests, and the conversations he had overheard.
The teacher commended him for being so observant, but then pointed to the spoon which was now empty. In his eagerness to take in all of his surroundings, the boy had spilled the oil. At this point, the teacher concluded the lesson by saying, “When you are able to observe everything without spilling the oil, you will have learned a valuable skill.”
This story highlights the importance of experiencing life, while at the same time paying attention to the things we need to take care of. In our youth, the oil could be a metaphor for schoolwork and household chores, whereas in our adult lives, it could represent work, family, health, and the countless other things we need to tend to. On one hand, we can’t just ignore our responsibilities in favour of everything fun and exciting. On the other hand, forgoing all enjoyment for the sake of our obligations is no way to live.
You might say that this parable is about finding the right balance between living well and living responsibly, but that would imply the two are mutually exclusive. I would argue that they are not. In the true Zen tradition, we are encouraged to experience the most out of life regardless of what we are doing, and I believe that this story illustrates that ideal. After all, the teacher instructed the boy to observe the party while taking care of the oil; not to observe the party and tend to the oil in separate shifts.
In any case, regardless of how you interpret it, I think this is an absolutely wonderful story!