If you meet the Buddha on the road and he can remain in Earth’s atmosphere for more than three minutes, kill him.
Most fantasy worlds manage to sustain a roughly medieval level of development for thousands of years at a stretch. (I blame hyperconservative nigh-immortal elves for quietly holding back technological progress.) Walter Jon Williams’ Metropolitan takes that restriction off and follows it to its logical conclusion, with geomantic public works and the essence of magic on tap as a utility; it’s a great read for gamers and anyone who likes to play with the idea of technomagic. The author discusses the worldbuilding and where to find the ebook.
I’m hoping there will be enough interest in this (and the sequel, City On Fire, when it comes out soon) that we can talk WJW into holding a Kickstarter for writing the third book that answers some of the questions raised in City On Fire.
Actual poster from the mid-50’s issued by Senator Joseph McCarthy at the height of the Red Scare and anti communist witch hunt in Washington. All artists were suspect.
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin
I stumbled across this while looking for a book for my cousin’s new baby. I was so intrigued by the whole idea. On each left page there was words written in braille and then again in white text. It was the description of colors, according to how a blind child would experience. On the right there were raised etchings of what each page was describing. It’s so beautiful.
One page in particular that really caught my attention was the one describing the color red. It talked about how red is how it feels to bite into a ripe strawberry, or the stinging on your knee after you fall down. Blue was the feeling of sunshine on your face.It’s just so astounding that someone managed this, as the idea of how to describe a color to someone who has no reference has always fascinated and baffled me.
Via Diane Duane
Department of Zen Corrections
- There is no such thing as a “bodhi hammer” that induces enlightenment when whacked on someone’s head.
- The lump depicted on top of the Buddha’s head was not raised by a bodhi hammer.
- The Buddha did not sit under a pipal tree for 49 days because a cat had fallen asleep in his lap.
- The full moon ceremony does not involve baring the buttocks of any of the sangha.
- The full moon ceremony does not involve baring the buttocks of the Buddha.
- Dharma transmission does not require a “dharma antenna”.
- The Sanskrit sūtras do not contain hidden plans for a dharma antenna, based on principles taught by ancient astronauts.
- I do not know how to extract the secret plans for a dharma antenna from the sūtras.
- It is not the custom of monks to ride Mardi Gras floats, shouting “show me your Zen” and throwing prayer beads.
- If you meet the Buddha on the road, you are not supposed to kill him for his treasure and XP.
- The Three Jewels are not the Buddha’s treasure type.
- There is no such thing as a Half-Buddha, Dire Buddha, or Werebuddha.
(In the spirit of Skippy’s List.)
I don’t think you need to cut off thoughts. Just let them go and they’ll stop by themselves. Sometimes returning to the breath is a useful way to kind of stay “on task” rather than daydream. Dogen seems to favor a sort of light touch as far as observing the breath goes. He says that he allows the in breath to be the in breath and the out breath to be the out breath.
Thought is something the brain needs to do the way the intestines need to digest food. The brain digests experience. So I try to let the brain do its job without paying it any more attention than I pay attention to the working of any other organ. This is easier said than done, of course.
– Brad Warner(Source: tricycle.com)
It’s a good thing presidential primary candidates don’t hold rallies in Silicon Valley. I would be highly tempted to cite this story to one and ask if they would pledge, if elected, to finally deploy our captured alien technology from Area 51 to defeat this menace.
About me
Book addict. Gamer. Maine Coon Cat wrangler. Software engineer. Zen practitioner.
