Time To Die
July 19, 2008
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: “Why do people have to die?”
“This is natural,” explained the older man. ”Everything has to die and has just so long to live.”
Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: “It was time for your cup to die.”
From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones.
This made me laugh. Clever kid. I’ll try to remember this technique the next time I do something bad.
The Most Valuable Thing In The World
July 18, 2008
Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: “What is the most valuable thing in the world?”
The master replied: “The head of a dead cat.”
“Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?” inquired the student.
Sozan replied: “Because no one can name its price.”
From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones.
Job Security
July 8, 2008
Apple Boss: Hey font guy, are you done yet so we can fire you?
Apple Font Guy: Err…no! I still have to do the…um…Braille font! Yeah, and the…um…Cherokee font! I’ll get back to you.
The Cloud
July 6, 2008
I’m going to puke if I read about “the cloud” or “cloud computing” one more time. It’s become popular in the past half year but it doesn’t describe anything new. Sometimes the computer tech industry has more ridiculous fads than fashion.
