A Zenmaster was invited to a great Catholic monastery to instruct the monks who resided there in the practice of Zen. The holy man exhorted the monks to meditate constantly and to try to solve their koan or Zen mystery with great energy and zeal. He told them that if they practiced with full-hearted effort, true understanding would come to them. "But, you really must put your hearts into it," he stressed. All of the monks listened attentively and smiled politely.

Finally, one old monk raised his hand and said, "Master, our way of prayer is a little different than yours. We have been meditating and praying in the simplest fashion without effort; for we believe that a person must wait, instead, to be illumined by the grace of God. Isn't there anything in Zen about this illumination that comes from doing nothing, that comes to a person uninvited?" The Zen master, when he heard this, laughed out loud and said, "My dear fellow, the reason we Buddhists put so much effort into prayer is because we believe God has already done enough!"