One Hand Clapping

Nearly a week later, and I've had a just about a week's worth of revelations, post-revelation-realizations, re-evalu-velations, and regular everyday thoughts. They probably don't all need to be recorded here. Probably not.

Ever unclear about the wherefore of this site, what I do know (for sure, as Oprah would say) is that I like writing here occasionally, and even more, I like reading, later on, what I wrote. That is a good enough reason to post whenever it strikes my fancy. If that's misguided for some reason, I'm confident that I'll realize it in some future revelation.

After getting all those books at the library sale (I've started the Carson McCullers), mostly I've been reading several books about Zen. They're really about Buddhism, but I've been referring to it as "Zen" for short, because "Buddhism" sounds more like a religion, while calling it "Zen" makes it sound more casual: "Nothing to get worried about, people. I'm not shaving my head and handing out flowers at the airport (outdated reference, I guess; see Airplane, 1980), I'm just mellowing out and having a chuckle about life 'n stuff."

Sorry it's not perfectly centered.
Or is it?

So here's what I want to record today, future self, and it definitely qualifies as a revelation:

Not every question needs an answer! 

I said that in the last post, but in this one, I've added an exclamation point!

Not every question needs an answer!!

For example, classic Zen koan: What is the sound of one hand clapping?

It's not a trick question. It's not an absurd question. It's not a stupid question.

It's a question that doesn't need an answer.

The question is enough. The question reminds me that existence is not a puzzle to be figured out and solved.

N.B.: The nugget of enlightenment expressed above does not reflect the official position of Zen Buddhism. Or maybe it does. Either way, it's immaterial to me. I am Buddha* and I have approved this message.

Next time: Perfection. 

*Not disrespectful, by the way. We are all Buddhas on this bus. Chill.

Why today?

Because it's October 1st and I like calendars and starting points.
Because I went to the library book sale on Sunday.
Because it's time.


Not every question needs an answer.

Here I am.  Hello!

I went to the library book sale on Sunday, bargain day. One bag of books for eight dollars. Once I had chosen five or six books, everything else I threw into the bag was essentially free. I figured if I had any interest in looking at it for more than 30 seconds, I should take it.

Twenty-one books. I didn't weigh them this time.

Last time I wrote about my book sale haul it was June 2011. Per my blog entry, which is the only reason I remember, I went both days and it looks like I bought six books on Saturday, and these fifteen more on Sunday.

Total: twenty-one! Symmetry!

How many did I read of the ones I bought in 2011?
That is so not the point.

Look at these nice tomatoes: