Word Zendo

[SparkOut]

top of the page update:

I know that the Buddha likes to meditate for long periods of time and will gladly spend a day or days in a transcendental state, but never as long as a week, and neither would he expect to contemplate much of worth in a matter of an hour or hours.

Buddha beautiful
apples assist attribute camel Carthage cat Christians classically clock coconuts Colosseum Daddy day days dog elephant five forum foxes grams hands liberty lions lollipops millennium moments Mother numbers pound puzzled red right Roman Rome six time "the cat" vixens walk

Buddha bag
agora Athens bananas Father four future goat gnus Greek green horse hour hours parents Parthenon past pears present run season Sparta sweets ten Troy truth warthogs week wrong year

Buddha luvs ya
LAT
Scurra (x3)

[SparkOut]

My dear student Laura, I understand your frustration. I would be pleased to assist in any way I can to help you reach the enlightened state, and it must be said that liberty is also a state which we should value.
The Buddha suggests that you may look closely at a clock and perhaps you might find the numbers and hands will help you to realise that it may measure but moments or a millennium, but never a season or a year, whether it be of the of the past, present or future. Five foxes would be worthy, but six vixens would be even more valued, and much more than say four warthogs or ten gnus.
He also suggests you remember our expedition and the places of interest that we shall visit, as well as our preferred discussion medium for the lessons, as noted previously.

[LAT]

Hello learned one, please forgive this student if she does not address you in the required manner, I am but a real novice and certainly no disrespect is intended.

I would like to enquire if you find lollipops acceptable but avoid sweets. Also do you tell your Mother and Father everything but keep quiet in front of your parents?

[SparkOut]

Thank you my dear student, certainly every due respect has been made in your enquiry. To be honest, I am but the mouthpiece of the Enlightened One, and only the leader of a teaching session until such time as another student, such as yourself may find the ear of the Buddha, and lead us on a new road of learning. It may well be you that we are addressing as Master (or Mistress, if you prefer) for indeed lollipops are favoured by the Buddha, while he generally shuns sweets, earning you the right to proclaim the nature of the Buddha words. The remainder is not so easy, as Mother is certainly beloved of the Buddha, but Father and parents are not currently of the way.
Remember our journey, and look forward to seeing lions feasting on Christians in the Colosseum, although you should not be disappointed that we will not be visiting Athens and taking in any Greek sites like the Parthenon.

[LAT]

Esteemed teacher and learned one, I made a rather elementary error in my previous enquiry but hope that I have learnt from my mistake. I should rather have enquired as to the Buddha trusting the ear of his Daddy (if indeed Buddhas do have Daddies) and to avoid calling him his father.

Might I venture to enquire if the Buddha values highly those words that have at least one letter that is a Roman numeral? Being so classically inclined this would surely be a worthy attribute.

[SparkOut]

That is absolutely so. Pray don the mantle (you may take a freshly laundered one from the stores - we don't always have to pass around the same one, it gets smelly and threadbare too quickly) and take up the staff of leadership, and impart some more of the wisdom of the Enlightened One.

(Incidentally, I was getting less and less subtle with the hints along the way, did I make a ham-handed hash of things?)

[Laura]

No. Still not quite obvious enough for me! I needed some hitting-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer-type hints!

[LAT]

Thank you learned one. I am not sure this mantle fits me but I shall endeavour to be worthy of it.

The Buddha recently imparted some wisdom to me after a visit to a zoo. I understand that Camels and Lions are particular favourites of the Buddha whereas Elephants are deemed too big and Tigers too stripy to please.

Incidentally I got the answer from the lists of words but had great pleasure reading through your comments which served to confirm my thoughts.

[Cenwulf]

I have clearly been o'ertaken by events. This is surely due to my infrequent visits.
I came, I saw and I contemplated. But I did not know what to ask, so I said nothing. And then on Friday morning, inspiration struck, and I had the answer. But due to other factors, this is the first time I have been able to return.

Nevertheless, I must ask the new Mistress whether water is preferable to wine?

[LAT]

Your visits are always wlecome however frequent or infrequent they may be.

Our enlightened Buddha does indeed prefer water to wine

In particular he enjoys it in April rather than June which can be a very dry month.

[Cenwulf]

I feel humbled that even despite my irregular visits I am welcomed.

As I am in need of further direction, is to sit facing south more suited to meditation than looking to the east?

[Scurra]

But I did not know what to ask, so I said nothing.

In the search for wisdom, keeping quiet is often beneficial, but in this case, even a wrong guess may prove equally instructive.

For some reason, I wish to offer fruit again. Would apples be preferred to oranges? (In passing, I shall be intrigued to know how the Buddha would respond to an offering of bananas?)

[LAT]

The Buddha is impressed by how quickly the students are progressing in their lessons.

South is indeed the direction the Buddha prefers to face. The morning sun in the east can be too bright for his eyes. And he enjoys nice crisp apples while finding oranges too juicy and sticky. Bananas also are not a favourite as they can be so difficult to get perfectly ripe.

[Cenwulf]

To tell the truth, I actually spent much time in contemplation. And after I left, I realised that I had not said anything. But by then I felt it too late to return.

But I believe I am aware now of the nature. The Buddha doth admire words with vowels in alphabetical order, without repetitions.

[LAT]

What a wonderful quick learner this student is. Please select your mantle and continue to instruct us all in the ways and preferences of the Buddha.

Well that was solved quickly, I shall have to find a harder one if ever I take up the mantle of leadership again

[Cenwulf]

Humbly I take up the mantle.

However, I am uncertain whether I will be worthy of my position. Such doubts clearly reveal to me that the Buddha does not wish me to be known as master but as more of a teacher.

But enough: the Buddha doth commune with the cycles of nature, and in particular the weather. But whereas the sun, as source of all light, is blessed, rain is not favoured. The wind is good, but preferably as a gentle breeze than a howling gale.


Buddha adores:
bananas breeze orange rock-and-roll savoury Shoreditch sun teacher wind

Buddha abhors:
apples disco gale lemon master Stepney sweet rain

Buddha admires:
Scurra (x2)
SparkOut

[Scurra]

Although my previous offering was slightly too late to be of use, I would like to make a similar gift to our new master teacher: would he like these bananas in preference to some apples?

Well that was solved quickly, I shall have to find a harder one if ever I take up the mantle of leadership again

Just remember that hard and easy are relative terms! Sometimes the simplest rules can be the most difficult to spot... Then again, very hard ones can be very hard as well

[Cenwulf]

The Buddha doth indeed look favourably on the bananas, which, due to their soft nature, can be eaten in silence, whereas apples require much noisy chewing.

[SparkOut]

Master, I feel I should also offer fruit, and would present a tangy orange which I hope is more pleasing than a bitter lemon. I would also humbly enquire whether the Buddha is more at home in Stepney than Shoreditch?

[Laura]

Would it please the master if I offered something sweet? Or would he prefer savoury?