Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

Re: [Icehouse] RE: Zendo rules question

  • From"Don Sheldon" <don.sheldon@xxxxxxxxx>
  • DateThu, 21 Dec 2006 13:49:17 -0500
On 12/21/06, Timothy Hunt <games@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> You can always ask.  Zendo is supposed to be about a dialog between
> the master and students.  The students should just say "master, is it
> your intention that this pyramid points directly at this corner of
> this pyramid?"
> or maybe "master, would you say that this pyramid
> points at this vertex?"
>

Hmm... I thought the master was supposed to answer questions about his
understanding of what is, not what he intended something to be

My theory is that the master's understanding is the same as reality.
If he thinks something is true, it's true.  His view of intent (which,
you're right, is a bad way to measure anything) is similarly true.  If
he thinks you're pointing at a vertex, that means you are (and, of
course, that you intended to do so).  A good master will see something
close and /he/ will ask /the student/ "is this pointing at a vertex?"
Zendo isn't a game of secrets (well, y'know, except /the/ secret: the
rule) the truth of the make up of the koans is meant to be fully
explained and transparent.

--
- |) () /\/
 and don't get me started on koans using opaque pyramids, there's a
reason I don't even take those out for Zendo.