PARTICULAR interests.
They went to their homes happy, thinking this was among the best parties they had organized.
Their nerdy classmate went home crying.
And alone.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A woman went to a maker of sweets and said to him:
"Make a cake for my dead husband and write the following:"
"To my favorite husband, the great thief and murderer"
The cake maker refused her demand, so she had him arrested, imprisoned and executed.
The same woman then went to the priest of the village and said to him:
"Bless my relations to my husbands and lovers. Bless my children, the little thieves and murderers."
The priest agreed, and the woman had him promoted to the position of bishop. The previous bishop resisted this absurdity, so she had him arrested, imprisoned and executed.
It is said that the priest, the judge and the executor were all among her many lovers, but no one knows for sure.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked
- - -
A shepherd lost some sheep in the mountain. So, he left the rest of the sheep in an open place, took his dog, and went to look for the lost ones. He eventually found all of them and returned back very happy, only to find the rest of the sheep killed by wolves."
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked
"But if that is not enough, what would you say if the shepherd noticed them, only to completely disregard, and not even shed one tear for them?"
- - -
Two middle aged men in their fifties were recovering in a hospital.
Due to their chronic diseases (different disease one from the other) they had to once in a while visit the hospital, either because of a sudden crisis, or to relieve them somewhat of their symptoms.
It happened during one of those days that the doctor entered their room very exited and told one of them:
"I have very good news for you!! There is this new medication which has been found to be effective, it has been tested, and is now available in pharmacies everywhere! It's so amazing that your symptoms will go away almost immediately, you'll recover to a normal life in about a week, and in about a year, you'll also be disease free!"
"Wow!", exclaimed the second patient, hopeful that there would be some sort of good news for him, too. "Do you have any such good news for my case, too?"
"Yes!", replied as enthusiastically the doctor.
"There is this certain mix of plants which has been found to be quite effective. It has been tested, and the plants are currently cultivated everywhere. However, no pharmaceutical ingredients have been extracted yet, and it will take a long time to test them, check for any side effects, approve them by the state and the global community, until they arrive at the local pharmacy and hospital. Meanwhile, no pharmacy is carrying the plant mixture, and it is not allowed to do so due to regulations. The plants are somewhat rare and protected, though they are now available in large quantities for scientific studies. Also, there are many fake recipes around, or mixtures with not the right ingredients, that we always warn people against. But, there is certainty, that once the medicine is available, you'll benefit largely from it!"
"What sort of 'good news' is that, then?", the ill man shouted. "In that ten or twenty or thirty, or who knows how many more years, you are condemning me to pain and more pain! Not only that, but you know the cure, and you don't want to deliver it! Go away now and please leave me alone. Your 'good news' just increased my pain!"
The other patient was discharged from the hospital the next day.
In a week or so, the ill patient was also discharged.
He asked around, but though people had heard about this cure, nobody knew where to go to find it. He asked other doctors, hoping they would know more, but they just repeated the words of the hospital doctor. And of course, the market was full of fakes.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
In a certain village, there lived a rich man. His house was large, and he owned a lot of land and other property.
One day, his brother knocked at the door of his house:
"Please", he said, "my house has been destroyed, and my livestock has mostly perished. Allow me to stay at your house and work for you."
"No", his brother said, "You can neither stay, nor work for me. Go fix your house, and work at your own land."
Then, some years later, his cousin knocked at the door of his house, saying almost the same things.
This time, his rich cousin was somewhat nicer:
"Yes, you can work for me, but you can not stay. Go and rebuild your own house. Once you rebuild it, you can work for yourself, as well as for me, as you desire."
Finally, after some more years, a group of gypsies appeared as out of nowhere and camped at the rich man's house.
"What are you doing here?!", the rich man asked.
He eventually discovered that they had been fighting among themselves, that they lived close to the river and one of them, being drunk had opened the dike on the hill, and all their tents, huts and belongings had been taken away by the water.
"Well, I can not take all of you", the rich man said, "But you can stay and work here. As for the rest, go to other people's houses! I'll try to convince them to accept you."
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A woman was tending the flowers in her garden when a man dressed in a suit, accompanied by the police appeared suddenly before her.
"You have to pay taxes for the rain water your flowers use", he began to say.
"The water belongs to the community, and your flowers use it - all this without permission."
"Either pay with money, or otherwise, give us 30% of your flowers. Of course, any delay will incur penalties - 5% interest per month."
The woman had stood there speechless, but the man continued:
"You understand, don't you, that this is your duty, both as a citizen, as well as a member of the society."
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A group of friends from a team of professional sport players was vacationing in a popular tourist destination, outside their own country.
Bored as they were, they asked the locals (who also happened to like the sport they played):
"How about we have a match? Do not worry, it will all be according to rules."
The locals, not knowing that they were professionals, decided to give it a try.
Obviously, they lost to the professionals, but with a large score difference.
So, the locals complained, but the professionals said:
"Didn't you agree to play? Didn't we follow the rules? So, you have no right to complain."
-
A few days later, at another city, the professional players asked the same question to the locals. This time, however, they said among themselves: "Let us win, but not make it so obvious. Let us make them think that they are playing fine, but are simply unlucky."
As they said, so they did - they won, and the locals lost.
However, after learning from a traveler from the previous city that they were professionals, the locals over there also complained.
The professionals replied as before.
"But, you misled us!", the locals continued, "You not only did not tell us you were professionals, but played as if you were not. You deceived us - not once, but twice!"
"Why do you complain?", the professionals replied, "We did not play at full capacity, and we still won. So you have no right to complain!"
-
A few days later, at a different city from the two first ones, they did the same with a group of people they met at a local cafe.
This time, though, the professionals were trailing the locals group at the half time.
"How can this be?", the professionals asked.
They eventually learned that the 'locals' were n
ot locals at all, but members of a professional team from another country.
"We can not lose!", the professionals said, "So, let us apply psychological pressure, send someone to disrupt something at their hotel - just do something, anyway!"
So they did, and eventually managed to win.
Proud of all these matches, they went back home rather happy.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A very rich man wanted to be generous, so he made several copper keys that would allow one to access his treasure.
He told this to the people, but most of them did not believe him. A few believed him, and became rich, but people did not believe them, either.
Then the rich man made a golden key, essentially a copy of the copper keys. On seeing this, the people fought among each other, not for the fact that it could open up the treasure, but because the key was made of gold.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A new paved road was built through a piece a land. On one side the ground was muddy and sandy with many swamps present, and on the other side it was mountainous with many rocks and bushes.
Now, some people avoided the new road, and instead drove their cars through the muddy, sandy and rocky lands.
"What are you doing?", a man who was driving through the paved road, asked the other drivers.
"Why aren't you driving in this road? It is not a toll road, and eventually you pay the same, and by the damage your car takes, you pay even more if you continue like that. Besides, there are dangerous points, no signals, no bridges, and you may fall or sink somewhere!"
"What are you saying?!", the other drivers replied.
"Do you want to restrict our freedom?!"
The other driver tried in vain to change their mind, but they would not listen.
At that time, some people driving off-road vehicles and horses also stopped to listen.
"See!", the other drivers said to the man driving on the paved road, "They also drive or ride in this terrain without any problems!"
"But you do not have such vehicles or horses!", the driver on the paved road replied.
"No, no, you do what you want, but we will do what we want!", the other drivers replied.
So, they continued to drive in that bad terrain. Some lost their vehicles, some lost their lives, but it did not matter that much to them. Sometimes they passed through the paved road, or took it for a while, but it was just for convenience and as a shortcut, not as the only way.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
"Sometimes, and quite often at that,
Dignity is mistaken for Pride,
Truth for Arrogance,
Humility for Weakness,
Simpleness for Stupidity,
Wisdom for Foolishness."
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain master hired a man to work in his vineyard.
It was winter and the vines had no leaves on them. So, the hired man, started cutting all the vines one by one.
On seeing this, much damage having already been done, the master asked him in an angry tone:
"What do you think you are doing?!"
"I'm cutting them all, since they are bad. Can't you see they are all dry?", the hired man replied.
Of course, the master fired him immediately.
Then, at the end of summer and start of autumn, the grapes where ripe for harvesting. So, the master hired a new man to help him in his vineyard.
On seeing that some of the vines had leaves, but no fruit (or the fruit was not good), the master asked the hired man:
"Didn't you see that these vines have no fruit? Why didn't you tell me, so that we remove them and plant new ones?"
The hired man replied:
"I saw what you did to the hired man in winter. Besides, some of these ones still have leaves!"
Of course, the master fired him immediately.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain master asked his servants to go out during the night and take something from storage.
He said to them:
"Get candles and matches that I have provided so that you can see, since it is dark"
The servants started discussing among one another how bright the master was and how full of light his house was. The also philosophized about the light, of what it was, of how much it was, of how it was to be measured. Through all of this, though, they did not light their candles.
Since they could not see, they stumbled in the dark on the road to the storage room. On arriving there, again, since the room was dark, they made a big mess, taking things from a shelf and moving it to another. They also broke many things.
Some others took as many matchboxes as possible and lit them all together, trying to make them explode. Still others melted the candles in a small-duration, but big fire, and made sculptures - some of them, attempts at a portrait of their master.
A few of them lit their candles normally, and wondered at what the others were doing. However, the others tried to blow their candles out. They also closed their eyes and said to them: "Do you think you are better? Now you also can not see!", and they tried to steal their materials for their 'fun' activities.
The master, hearing all that noise, saw all of that, without the servants' being aware. Then, on the servants return, he asked them:
"What have you done here? What is this mess? What have you done with the candles and matches I gave you and why have you shuffled and broken the things that I had in storage?"
The servants tried to blame the ones that had their candles lit normally (some of them, having stolen their candles already), but the master knew that they were lying, having seen it all himself.
Of course, he fired all the bad servants at once, but wasn't the bad servants' behavior absurd?
"Indeed, isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
The administrative and police forces of a certain town were understaffed. Hence, the town experienced a lot of criminality, taxes were not paid, and honest businesses and individuals suffered.
To solve this, the mayor and police chief met together, appealed to parliament, which then decided as follows:
"Since no thief could be verified with certainty that he or she was a thief, everyone would go to JAIL for a day or a week, depending on his or her personal wealth. In addition, the state would get a portion of every businessman's production IN ADVANCE, because the businessman might have time to hide it, otherwise. The police and administrative staff were excluded, since they were honest, and the state knew their condition anyway."
So it was decided, and people agreed since this was the law.
At some point, though, one person, a young lawyer, spoke to the people:
"What are you doing? Why are you so indifferent to such an absurdity and thievery of your own wealth? This is not right, not right at all! It may be that there are thieves among the businessmen, and that we may not be able to catch them, but look, we know for sure that the state is stealing in the open and nobody dares to speak. Why do you let them cover their incompetence by this stupid law?"
The people listened to him, but did not do anything. One, though, reported him to the police, which arrested him for "disturbing the public order and entice the public to violence and breaking the law".
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
The master's students asked him one day:
"Master, which one do you think is the best economic system, which one do you think is the best political system, what do you think of various philosophical schools or education systems?"
The master asked them of why they asked him these questions and the students replied that many people asked them these kind of questions, the people regarding the master as a wise man.
Then the master took a wooden cube that was painted on
each side red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet and asked his students:
"If I throw this cube, when will it come up white?"
Then the master took the cube and threw it out the window.
As the students were still perplexed by this answer, the master started giving each of them a white sphere.
On seeing this, some of the students became illuminated.
The rest, though, the ones that did not become illuminated, went outside to search for the master's dice. Then they started arguing among themselves on what color had come up. They could also not trust the first person who said that it was this certain color, or if the cube was not exactly flat. They were further confused when they saw that there were many such cubes outside, which the master had probably thrown before.
Some others thought that by spinning the cube it would turn white, or that by scratching it, they would reveal the wood texture, which was sort of whitish. Of course, they all treated these cubes as a kind of relic, the hands of the master having touched it. Many sawed that in small pieces and wore them as jewelry. Some others built big cubes and worshiped them or revered them as some kind of 'cosmic idea'.
When asked by the other students of what they had done with the white spheres which the master gave them for free, they replied that they had thrown them away, or given them away to strangers, being of no great value.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man had planted trees in his garden, but they had no edible fruit. So as to not look bad in the eyes of other people, he bought a lot of various fruit and tied it on the branches of his trees.
All people who came to visit marveled at the majesty of these trees and how full of fruit they were. However, a little kid, grabbed one of the fruits and saw that it was tied on the tree instead of being part of the tree itself. Moreover, he noticed that the same tree had different kind of fruit!
However, his parents scolded their child and said to him:
"Bad child! Why did you steal this wonderful person's fruit without permission? Besides, what you noticed was just a coincidence, it can not be otherwise!"
The child did not know what to say as almost all the people greatly admired the trees of that man and the good fruit they ate.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
People from a certain humanitarian organization went to some poor and homeless men and told them:
"Why do you stay here, hungry and thirsty in the cold? Come with us and we'll give you food and drink! We'll also give you new clothes and free shelter!"
The homeless people were very happy and went to the shelter.
The organization gave them food and new clothes and shelter, but they did not give them anything to drink.
"Why aren't you giving us anything to drink?", the homeless people complained.
"It would be better to not give us food or new clothes. But water?! That's the first thing you should have given us. A man can't live more than three days without water, you know!",
"We even have to buy the tap water!", others said.
"Where do you think we can get the money if we are homeless and destitute?!"
The people from the humanitarian organization listened to them and told them that they understood. So, they gave them to drink, but did not give them food or new clothes.
"What is this?!", the homeless people complained again.
"You promised you would give us food AND water AND new clothes AND shelter! Where is the FOOD and the new CLOTHES ?"
So the people from the humanitarian organization gave them food, but told them to go find shelter elsewhere. Also, they did not give them any new clothes.
"Where are your PROMISES?!", the homeless people shouted.
"Where is the free food AND drink AND clothes AND shelter that you promised?!"
"Get it or leave if you don't like it!", the people from the humanitarian organization replied.
"Well", the homeless people reasoned, "it was better when we depended on the goodness of people, rather than the lies of these people who promise everything and do not deliver"
So they went back to the streets.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
In a certain city, there lived a policeman. He was a honored member of the society, and a person who gave a lot to humanitarian causes. So, the people loved him and respected him.
In that city, there also lived a businessman. He also donated money, but not as much and not in such an open manner as the policeman. Needless to say, people did not like him that much - well, at least, not as much as the policeman.
Now, one day, the policeman was caught and the authorities found out that he was corrupted and had also stolen funds from the police department as well as accepted bribes. So they brought him to the judge.
The people of the city also went to support him.
Then they told the judge:
"Let this person free! Forgive him for what he has done! He is such a good person and cares for the poor! We do not want to lose him from our community!"
"What are you saying?", the judge asked, surprised.
"Hear, hear", the people replied, "He is a good person and gives a lot to charity."
"You see that businessman there", and the people pointed to the businessman who had also gone there to see the trial, "He is a bad person who does not give a lot to charity! Take him instead!"
"Are you serious?!", the judge exclaimed.
"I'm not judging on what good things people have done, but on the bad things they have done."
"Go away, Corrupt Judge!!", the people shouted, and they made a mess in the court. They broke the chairs and the windows, tore the papers and the curtains, and expelled the lawyers.
"Go away, Corrupt Judge! Go away, Corrupt Judge!", they continued to shout as they came out of the court.
So they drove the judge (and the mayor, who also supported him) out of their city. The businessman, too, barely managed to escape from their hands.
The people then voted and elected the policeman as the mayor of the city.
Then they calmed down and were happy of their doing.
"Righteousness has triumphed!", they said to one another.
The policeman continued to be corrupt, but as long as he gave to the poor, nobody cared. Well, not until somebody would give MORE to the poor than he did.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A group of young men from rich families were to get their driving license so they went to a driving school.
Now, the owner of the driving school had an assistant who had only finished primary school, but was a very good mechanic and had worked as a driver of buses, trucks and such heavy equipment in various conditions. It goes without saying that the driving school owner trusted him fully.
Since the owner had some paperwork to do, he called his assistant, who basically did the same work he did, that is teach the newbies, and told him to start teaching this group of young men, too.
But these rich people did not like it. When they were left alone with the assistant, they told him:
"Who do you think you are? You've just finished primary school, but we have finished high school at the top of our class! We'll study at the best universities and become the future high class, the doctors, the lawyers, judges, politicians, architects, economists, businessmen, yeah, even teachers of the future! Don't you know that we'll drive the most costly cars that our families (and our future money) will buy for us?! Don't you know that we'll pilot yachts and airplanes?! We do not need you! "
The assistant did not know what to say, but tried to explain that he had a lot of experience anyway, and they should not act so arrogant. Besides, he was not the owner, just a worker at this school. He followed what the school normally taught and had never seen such people act like this.
The rich guys would not hear though. They took the car keys by force fr
om the hands of the assistant, and merrily took on the road on two cars. They drove erroneously, so much that they almost hit other drivers, or get hit likewise. Then they reached the highway and drove at high speed till they lost control of the vehicles.
The drivers and the front seat passengers died on the spot, one died later in the hospital, and the rest suffered severe injuries.
-
Similarly, some other rich young men, but older than the first, having finished the university and having various degrees among them, BSc, MSc, PhD and various degrees of work experience went to a flight school to learn how to pilot an airplane.
Here, too, the owner of the flight school left the work to one of his assistants. This assistant, too, had only finished high school, but was very experienced - having a good flight record, and having previously worked in various positions, as helper first, and then as a pilot himself.
The rich young men told him:
"What, do you think you are gonna teach us with just a high school diploma?! What a joke! We have completed the best universities, at the top of our class. We work at the best companies, and drive the best and more expensive cars. And you think you know better?!"
Then they forcefully took the airplane keys from him, bound him, and tried to start two of the airplanes. Needless to say, having no real-life experience, they just managed to raise the airplane a few meters, before crashing and getting themselves killed on the spot just a few meters beyond the runway.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man asked a secretary who worked with him to be a nanny for his children since he had work to do.
However, the nanny did not do her work, but told the children:
"See how good and wonderful your father is? See the poor, hungry people? He goes and helps them, and I also help him! So, I'll need to go and help those children and families, since they are more in need compared to you!"
Thus the nanny neglected the children, did not cook for them, did not wash them, did not instruct them or play with them, and the children grew weaker every day, so much that they also looked as 'the poor, hungry people'.
After noticing this, a woman confronted the nanny and told her:
"What are you doing? These children were fine before you came. They are rich, and yet go hungry and dirty. You say you help poor people, but how come you can't see that you are making them poor, too?"
The nanny did not want to hear, though, and the woman reported this to the children's father.
He fired the nanny immediately, but wasn't the nanny's behavior absurd?
"Indeed, isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man asked a secretary who worked with him to be a nanny for his children since he had work to do.
However, the nanny did not do her work, but told the children:
"See how good and wonderful your father is? He has taken me to take care of you, so, let's have fun!"
But the nanny neglected the children, did not cook for them, did not wash them, did not instruct them or play with them, and the children grew weaker every day, so much that they also looked as children from third world countries.
Instead, the nanny spent time (and money) with her lovers, cooked for them and drank with them.
She gave money to some rich men and their sons (obviously), but turned away some beggars saying to them:
"Do you think we are rich? We do not have enough for ourselves! See these children how underfed they are! Go now! Go some other place!", and she slammed the door shut in their faces.
Now, one day, the children got so tired, that they tried to go and get food from other houses. It so happened that the owner of the house where some of the children went was an enemy of their father.
On learning about this, the nanny took the children and spanked them, saying:
"WHY DID YOU GO TO YOUR FATHER'S ENEMY? AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?"
After noticing this, a woman confronted the nanny and told her:
"What are you doing? These children were fine before you came. They are rich, and yet go hungry and dirty. How are you 'good enough' for them, having made them even go to their enemy (who undoubtedly would use them to his advantage)?"
The nanny did not want to hear, though, and the woman reported this to the children's father.
He fired the nanny immediately, but wasn't the nanny's behavior absurd?
"Indeed, isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
The people of a certain village complained about the tap water they drank, while, at the same time, took the water from a clean spring, bottled it and sold it to the passers by. In addition, they used the clean spring water to water their plants and also gave it to their farm animals.
Now, a certain traveler bought one of the bottles, and stayed a while with the seller to hear about the problems of the village. When he learned that they were using the clean water, not for themselves, but for others, he asked them:
"What are you doing? Why do you complain if you already have plenty of clean water available?"
He certainly wasn't expecting the answer of the villager, who replied:
"What?! How will we water the plants, what will our animals drink, and how will the business of selling water prosper?!"
The traveler shook his head, handled the bottle of water back to the seller, and continued his journey.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man had traveled to a foreign country, and returned back to his village to tell his fellow villagers about his experiences.
So, he told them about snow (for his village was in the tropics), about cities, great buildings, parks and fountains - for those were times when the TV did not exist, and the villagers did not have a lot of books available to them.
But the people of the village would not believe him, and so the man spoke to himself:
"I feel like I talk of colors to blind people, and of music to people who can't hear."
But he did not give up, and continued talking to them. He even made models of some buildings and showed them to the villagers.
"What are these?", the villagers replied, "These are toys for children! We have no need for your sterile utopias!"
Oh, it was kinda weird that the villagers even knew words such as 'sterile' and 'utopia', but that was how they replied, for they were sorta philosophers.
But again the man did not give up and continued talking to them, month after month.
Eventually some (sort of) believed him - and once some believed, all the villagers followed them until the whole village 'believed'.
Then, they immediately started imitating the buildings he had described, despite not being experts in designing large structures.
"What are you doing?!", the man told them, "You are not experts! The structures you are building might even look like the real thing, but they will not stand! They will eventually fall, trap you all under, and you will die!"
But the villagers continued with their work, and said to him:
"You talked and talked and tried to convince us as to the veracity of your experiences, and now, that we believe, you are trying to stop us?! Go away, for you are hindering our progress!"
Then the man, facing hatred on every side, decided to go and live in the cities and countries he had traveled to.
Later he learned that, indeed, the structure that the villagers had been building had fallen on them, and many of them had died.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain florist, who also liked doing research on plants on the side, had planted grain varieties in large pots.
He took care of them as he did with the flowers and investigated what crops were better - that is, produced more, and were more resistant to diseases.
Every year he organized for the villagers around there a feast - to celebrate the newest results.
However, the maj
ority of the villagers did not like it, and said among themselves:
"Look! The guy from the city who knows nothing of working in the fields, comes here and wants to teach us! What does he know of grain, after all, except some theoretical stuff that nobody needs! Also, he's a florist, let him take care of flowers for the ladies, not about serious work that is to be done by men!"
Thus, most of them did not go to the party that the florist had prepared.
To those that went, though, the researcher told everything that he knew - and for almost free. He gave them seeds from better grain varieties, taught them about how to better work the land and care for it, and other such practical things.
Again, even among the farmers that went there, half did not believe. The other half took it seriously, though, and in a few years began seeing the fruit of their effort and learning.
On seeing this, the other villagers got jealous and angry. For the villagers who had heard him were now richer and happier.
For this reason, they would ridicule them, saying:
"Still following that city man? You think you've become smarter? He just wants to promote his ideas, and does not care about your well-being!"
But, despite what they said, still the villagers who heard him had better results.
Therefore the rest became even angrier, started burning their fields, their grain seeds and even their houses.
They also did not permit the researcher to come again - they actually threatened that they would kill him if he did so.
As a result, because the situation had become dangerous, the villagers who had heard the florist moved away together with him - though they were sad to leave their village and sell their farms to buy others in some other distant place.
Back in the villages, the rest of the farmers, having got hold of the better grain seeds, started using them instead of their older varieties.
"See!", they said among themselves, "We are also smart!"
Even so, after a while, because they had not learned of how to better work the land and take care of it in general, even the better grain seeds were not enough to provide a better result than what they already had before.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man wanted to plant a garden of flowers, so he bought seeds and started the work.
He planted the seeds, but where one plant had need of normal soil, he put sand, where the other had need of sand, he put normal soil, where one had need of water, he didn't water it enough, when one had no need of a lot of water, he watered it a lot, where one had need of sunlight, he put it in the shade, when one should have been put in the shade, he put it in the light.
He also pruned some plants, so much that he left no leaves on them, and sometimes he cut most of the branches away.
Of course, none of the plants grew up.
Then the man said:
"It is just bad seeds!"
Now, one day, a wise man heard him, and when he learned of what he was doing, he said to him:
"When you do not care well for your plants, it is not wise to blame 'bad seeds' to excuse your incompetence!"
But the man did not hear him. Instead, he replied:
"You work in your garden of words! I'll work in my garden of plants!"
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A very rich man, who often liked to organize large parties where he invited friends and family, went to a famous master, and began bragging about the parties he organized, the food, the music, the entertainment, and the guests.
Needless to say, the master was not impressed, but the rich man insisted and invited him to one of his parties. To which the master agreed.
So, the master went to the party, but did not mix in very well among the party goers. Eventually, he sat on a corner by himself, when the rich man - that is, the party organizer - saw him.
"What are you doing here, alone?", he asked the master.
"Well", the master began to reply, "I'm lamenting that you have so many people coming to your party of the body, but to the party of the soul, very few, or almost none at all come..."
The rich man looked at him with pity, wondering what he meant by that, but the master did not stop.
"Let me tell you a story", the master said.
The rich man agreed, and so the master began telling his story:
"There once was a poor man, a beggar, sitting on the corner of a street and begging."
"One day a priest passed by, saw the beggar and blessed him in the name of God, giving him no food or money."
"On another day, a philosopher passed by, saw the beggar and started talking to him about the universe, the world, and the situation of the society, and, like the priest, gave him no food, or drink, or money."
"Finally, on yet another day, an artist passed by. He played music and sang a song to the beggar, painted a picture of him, told him that beauty is found everywhere, even in wretched conditions, and then left - again, like the previous two, giving him nothing physical."
The master then stopped, and looked with attention at the rich man.
Now, the rich man, being a bit religious and interested in this sort of wisdom literature, was quickly reminded of a certain parable, and told the master:
"Oh, master, sorry to say, but you told me nothing new. You are just recycling a bit a well-known parable..."
"Very well, then", the master said, "let me tell you another story"
The rich man agreed, and so the master began telling the second story:
"There was a very rich man, who organized a large banquet, or, let's say, a party. He invited friends from work, other friends he knew, and family members, his parents, sisters and brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts - as many as possible, the more the merrier!"
"So, he spent a lot of energy and money, bought all the food that was needed, hired men for music and entertainment, only to find himself alone, since nobody, no, not even his close family came - except for one of his brothers, and a quick visit from one of his sisters (who just noted how beautiful the preparations were, before quickly leaving again)."
"In fact, not only did people not come - he later heard somebody say that he preferred junk food, which the rich man did not provide, rather than normal food!"
"The man did not lose hope, though. He organized a party again, only to face the same results. But again, he did not give up! He tried a third time, a fourth time... a seventh time! More and more he tried, he spent so much energy and money, only to see no results."
The master again stopped, and looked at the rich man in silence. Again, like in the first story, the party organizer was reminded of a certain parable, and thus, told the master:
"Master, sorry, but again you are recycling well-known stories. Besides, things like that do not happen - just have a look around - the people here are happy and enjoying my party."
"But, what if YOU were that man?", the master asked.
The rich man looked at the master - wondering why he was insisting on such a thing - and, should we say, the rich man's respect for the master was quickly beginning to erode, but he still replied to him, and tried to be polite:
"But, master, as I said, these things don't happen. Just have a look around!"
"Very well, then", the master said, "But let me tell you another story."
"Oh, fine, let's hear that, too", the rich man was beginning to lose his patience, "But quickly, as I have other people to meet and other things to do."
"Fine, quick then it will be", the master said, and began to tell his third story:
"A rather poor worker, not as poor as to have nothing to eat, but rather poor nonetheless, organized a party - just like the rich man in the second story."
"He had not much for himself, no big house, not much food, but wanted to make other people happy, and spent half his wage on this one party. Again, he invited friends and family - and yet, nobody came, or just one person came, and one commented that it was
interesting."
"But he did not give up, and tried again, a second, a third, a fourth... a seventh time, without results..."
And then, the master stopped again.
"Well", the rich man who had been listening with no much attention this time, "You just recycled your own story again - only substituting a poor man for a rich man."
"Now", the rich man continued, "Please excuse me, for I have to go. I just think that your stories do not reflect the reality, and, in fact, are very absurd."
"Absurd?", the master asked, as if surprised, and continued:
"Well, then, let me tell you one final story."
The rich man had prepared to leave, but he sort of wanted to not be disrespectful - so he listened to the master's fourth and final story.
And so, the master started again:
"You know how, in some countries, the villagers gather in cafes in the evenings and talk to one another about different things?"
"Well, in this certain region, there were peculiar villages where the villagers gathered in other places."
"So, in one village, they gathered at the village florist. They brought bouquets of flowers with them and gave them as gifts to one another. They also liked to draw and paint flowers and decorated their walls with floral motifs. And what they talked about was about how to arrange flowers and decorate their houses, in addition to other village matters."
"In another village, the villagers gathered at the local library. They liked to share books with one another, and talk about what they had read, and things like that. Many of them started writing poems and stories themselves."
"Finally, in yet another village, the villagers gathered at the local music shop. They all learned to play different instruments and formed musical bands. They even started to compose music themselves."
"Thus, instead of just sitting in a cafe and drinking, these villagers liked to socialize in other ways. Some with art, some with craft, some with literature, in any way that was creative and involved the mind and the heart."
The master then stopped - again, as he had already done before, a bit abruptly. However, the rich man had paid even less attention this time, at least, to try to understand the story. So, it was no surprise that he just replied:
"Master, with all due respect, nothing like that happens. Even if it does, it is very rare. Now, again, excuse me, but really, this time I have to go. In any case, your final story does not change my opinion that this is all very abstract and, shall I say it again, very absurd."
"Indeed", the master replied, as he also prepared to leave and say goodbye to the rich man and the party.
"Isn't it absurd?"
But no reply came back, and of who went to the party of the master, or to the party of the soul, we can only wonder...
- - -
A man wanted to study photography in depth, and thus bought a film camera and started taking photos.
However, all of his photographs either turned up underexposed (that is, very dark) or overexposed (that is, very bright).
To 'fix' them, the man started to paint them - the dark ones with white paint and brighter colors, and the bright ones with black paint and darker colors.
When an experienced photographer saw him doing this, he advised him on learning about proper exposure. However, the man replied:
"Why should I do that? What I do is realistic enough, and more real than the photograph!"
The experienced photographer tried in vain to tell him that what he was doing was more like painting than photography, but he would not listen.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain person could not read, so he bought a book to learn how. Even so, he could not learn, so he tore the book into pieces.
Another person wanted to learn how to ride a bicycle. Therefore, he bought a bicycle and started to practice, but without success. Frustrated, he punctured the tires, and broke the bicycle into pieces.
Another person bought a musical instrument, intent on learning how to play it. However, he had no much patience, learned a few easy notes, couldn't learn moderate or difficult pieces, and therefore, in anger, he took the instrument and broke it into pieces.
Another person wanted to learn how to better cook. So, he bought new utensils, but no books to learn from. He tried and he tried, but all his self tries were in vain - food was burned, or turned up not that good. Frustrated, he broke the plates and cups, and threw the new utensils in the trash bin.
Another person wanted to learn how to work on a computer. So, he bought one, and he also bought books, but could not remember anything when in front of the computer - thus, he was not productive and could not do what he desired, but seemed to always be 'fighting' with the technology. Frustrated, he pulled the power cord out of the socket, broke the mouse and keyboard into pieces, disassembled all the interior components and threw them in the trash bin.
Another person wanted to learn how to draw. Therefore, he bought paper, pencils, pens, ink and brushes. His works did not turn out very good, or satisfying - well, not in comparison to the 'great masters'. So, he took all the works he had done and burned them. Similarly, he broke all the pencils and brushes and threw them all in the trash bin.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A person had bought a fish together with an aquarium, and also a small hamster that he put into a plastic container, closed on all sides, except for some holes for air on the top.
Then, one day he began taking water from the aquarium and putting it in the container of the hamster.
"So you get more air!", he said to the fish.
"So you get more water to drink!", he said to the hamster.
The fish did not notice the change that much initially, and the hamster just drank the little water he added.
However, the quantity increased day after day.
The hamster could not rest anymore, or even eat in that humid environment. Then, when the quantity of water increased even more, he had to swim all day.
Similarly, the fish was beginning to notice the reduced quantity of water, and with it, the reduced oxygen.
In just a week, the fish was left with an amount of water enough to just cover its body and the hamster with just a tiny space to breath.
That very night, both those animals died and the man only found that out when he woke up the next morning.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
"No..", the Master continued.
"NO!..", the Master almost shouted.
"Isn't it CRUEL?"
And the Master almost cried...
- - -
A man went to a bakery to buy bread.
"What do you want?", the baker asked him.
"I want to buy that particular loaf of bread over there", the man answered.
"Oh, bread...", the baker said, and then continued:
"How hard it is for the grain to grow - it needs a lot of work and care. The farmer plants and cares for it, and then time comes to reap it. Then it must be ground into flour, packaged, sold. Then the baker has to prepare bread with the flour, salt and water, and sometimes leaven, too..."
"Excuse me", the man who went to buy bread interrupted, but I've come here to buy bread, not hear about the process behind it.
"Oh, the process...", the baker said, and then continued:
"Do you know how hard it is to open a bakery? How much I have to pay for energy, water, rent, taxes and the like? How I have to wake up early, bake bread, then sit here and try to sell it? And oh, how many people come here! For example, there is this lady..."
"Excuse ME AGAIN!", the man who went to buy bread interrupted, but contained himself, "Can you please give me the bread I asked? I'm not interested in hearing stories about bread, or bread buyers."
"Ah, the bread buyers...", the baker said, and then continued:
"It's difficult to make a profit in this business. I should probably start selling cookies and
pastries on the side, but I should go to school to learn. Do you know how much that costs? Do you know that I have to pay for my house, rent, to buy clothes, and other things? Do you know that I have to pay for my children..."
"AND I NEED BREAD FOR MY CHILDREN!!", the man who went to buy bread shouted.
However, the baker did not seem to be affected:
"Oh, you have children?! How old are they? What do you buy for them? What kind of bread do they like? Do they go to school? Were they born here? Where are you from? Where is your wife from?..."
But the man who went to buy bread got tired, and left the baker talk to himself.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A worker who worked for a farmer, unsatisfied with the field he planted, took one of the grain sacks to plant the seeds in other places.
"To spread the blessing far and wide!", he said.
So he threw almost a quarter of the seeds in the sea.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world!", he said.
"Be the blessing I want to see in the world!", he added.
Then he threw another quarter in the fire.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world!", he said.
"Be the blessing I want to see in the world!", he added.
Finally, he opened a deep hole - almost ten meters deep! - where he put the rest of the seeds as they were in the sack and then covered the hole back again.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world!", he said.
"Be the blessing I want to see in the world!", he added.
And his face shone by the 'good deed' he had done.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man wanted to plant young trees (saplings) in his garden.
Now, the trees had quite large roots, and the man did not want to dig big holes to plant them.
So, he cut the roots away, and opened small holes where he 'planted' the trees.
That despite those trees not being able to be propagated through 'cuttings'. Even so, he put the trees on plastic or cement holders so that they could be 'planted' more easily and be more 'stable'.
"See, how beautiful and alive my garden has become!", he said to himself.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A group of youngsters, finding a mute girl, gathered round her and started teasing her:
"Speak! Why don't you speak?"
The girl, who knew sign language very well, tried to make them understand, saying in signs:
"This is my language!"
But they continued:
"Be normal! We don't understand you!"
She tried to explain by writing, but they did not allow her:
"Speak! Like all people! Be normal!", and they hit her hard - and left her unconscious.
-
Then, another group of men, finding a man walking on crutches, took them from him and said to him:
"Walk normally like all people do!"
And they broke his crutches to pieces and threw them in the fire!
But since the man still could not walk well, they hit him hard in the legs.
"Be NORMAL, we said! What's the problem with you?", and they hit him so much, he could not walk anymore.
-
Another group - of women this time - found a man with glasses walking on the road.
"Be normal! Be normal, young man!", they said.
And they took his glasses and broke them to pieces.
But the man had advanced myopia, and could not see very well without his glasses!
"What's with you? Be normal!", they said.
And they led him here and there, 'playing' with him.
But since he could not walk well, they hit him in the head, saying:
"Is there a problem with your brain?"
And they hit him on the legs, saying:
"Is there a problem with your legs? You walked just fine before! Be normal, therefore!"
And they hit him so hard, that they left him unconscious.
-
Now, a few people, seeing all these things, reported that to the authorities.
But the policemen said to them:
"You know the rules! Shut up and be normal!"
But those people insisted, and went to the judge.
But the judge told them:
"You know the laws! Shut up and be normal!"
"If not, we'll put you to jail - as supporters of not normal people!"
-
The Master, then, paused, and asked:
"Isn't it absurd?"
"No..", the Master, then, continued.
"NO!..", the Master raised his voice.
"NO!", the Master shouted, so much that the place shook, so much that the workers and the medics came in a hurry to see if something had happened to him.
"ISN'T IT CRUEL?", the Master said, his voice trembling as he fell to the ground.
And the Master cried...
And it was perhaps the first time that the students had seen him so agitated.
-
But the Master had not completed his story.
He rose up slowly, and then continued:
"Then God saw all that from Heaven and sent an angel to help the poor men and women. But as the angel was approaching the city, the whole population, men, women and children, rose up against him shouting: 'Be normal! Be normal! You are a man, so wear trousers, not dresses like women!' But they could not do anything to the angel, and he disappeared from their sight!"
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain man had planted flowers, and complained to his neighbor:
"My plants are dying of water in the sun! It hasn't rained for a month!"
But the neighbor told him:
"But you have enough water from the stream, so use it!"
The man, then, replied:
"I don't have money to buy an expensive system to make it appear as if it raining, to artificially water the plants!"
The neighbor was even more astonished:
"But you can use your watering can to water them!"
The man, though, had other ideas:
"No, no, for that is old stuff. I don't want to appear that rustic and primitive in the eyes of people!"
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
-
But the Master had not completed his story, and continued:
The man who had planted the flowers, "to protect them from the sun", as he said, took them, and put them inside a dark room during the day. In the evening, he put them outside, for "there was no sun then".
Of course, he again complained to his neighbor, who did not know what else to say except that the plants, lacking energy, would die even faster.
And so it happened - the plants began to die even faster.
Ironically, the man had gone for some work in some other place, when it rained for three days and nights straight - rain that the plants he had forgotten in the dark room could not benefit from.
"Isn't it even more absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain man had planted olive trees and lemon trees which fruit he sold for profit.
In addition, he was a trader of spices, white, red and black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, etc.
His business went fine until another trader came in the town. This new trader sold sweet fruit, instead - strawberries, cherries, plums and the like.
One day, the new trader told the people who went to buy from the first one unprepared olives, lemons and spices:
"He is a trader of bitter and sour substances! In addition he sells hot, spicy processed herbs! He does that because he is bitter and sour himself and has a bad temper!"
Of course, the man had no such traits, but the people started believing the new trader.
But one man, after hearing this nonsense for some time, intervened:
"What does a man have to do with
the fruit he sells? It's not like he sells poison! Besides, the olives must be processed so that they are not bitter! And lemons can be used on dishes for extra taste, or can be made lemonade by adding sugar or honey! Finally, our dishes would lose their taste if we did not add spices!"
It was too late, though. The madness had spread so much, that both the trader and the man who spoke for him had to leave their town and go elsewhere.
After some years, they learned that no olives, lemons and any other such bitter or sour produce was allowed in that town. Of course, spices were prohibited, too.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain man had bought land and wanted to grow grain.
So, he bought bags full of seeds, but on seeing they were hard, he said to himself:
"These are not good! They can't grow if I let the hard shell block their growth!"
So, he took the seeds and split them into small pieces.
"Now, they should be able to grow, since there is no hard shell blocking them!", he said to himself with satisfaction, and then started sowing.
On seeing that, another farmer told him that what he was doing was pure idiocy, but the man would not hear.
Of course, nothing grew out of his land, but he said:
"That must have been due to the hardness of the seeds!"
"I'll try next year with corn!"
On seeing that corn was also hard on the outside, he did the same thing as with the grain, and again, nothing grew.
Frustrated, he then sold the land.
"Worthless land!", he said, and kicked the soil before leaving.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain landlord had farms in two or three locations across the country. He lived in one of these farms for most of the time and let the management of the other farms to other people. But he went to visit the other farms once or twice in the year.
Now, the workers loved him very much, for he was famous, very handsome, and he treated them well.
So, it came to be, that the Master went to visit one of his farms where he had freshly hired the workers.
Now, to say the truth, it was the new manager who had actually hired them. And he based the hiring primarily on their praise and enthusiasm about the landlord.
Therefore, it goes without saying that all the workers were eagerly looking forward to meet the landlord in person.
So, the moment came, and when it came some people were working in the fields, some were caring about animals, some were working in the storage room, trying to oxy-fuel weld something, and many people had gathered at another place to learn about new and more modern farm procedures, methods and techniques.
As soon as they learned that the landlord had arrived, the workers, due to their anticipation, immediately left everything they were doing and ran (or drove) to meet him.
The workers in the field drove their tractors through the crops, so that they could go faster and meet the landlord. In the process they destroyed much of the produce. In addition, two of the tractors fell, and the driver and some people who were riding on a trailer pulled by the tractors were injured. Some of them died.
The workers tending the animals left them where they were, in the field or in the stable and also ran to meet the landlord. Until here, it would look as they had no problems like those working the fields. However, the oxy-welding team working in the storage room had left their torch open, which started a small fire. As nobody was there, the fire became larger and larger and devoured the storage room. As the firefighters had left their post to go see the landlord, nobody fought it, so the fire extended to the stables. As nobody was tending the animals, the animals also perished in the fire. Much of the fields also caught fire, and only a third of the original land was left untouched. The animals in the fields, perished there, too - and some, scared by the fire, drowned in the river.
Finally, at the building where people had gathered to be taught, where the manager was also present, on hearing that the landlord had come, they immediately ran to the door trying to get out first. Due to the large number of the people present, a stampede occurred, where many people died, including the master manager and a third of their other senior managers.
But all of that did not matter, and the remaining workers and managers were happy to see the landlord.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
Then the master added:
"The farm was almost all destroyed, many people had died, but the master was unaffected by the tragedy. Instead, he praised the people who were so eager to run and meet him."
"Isn't it even more absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A king prepared a wedding feast for his son and sent invitations to all his ministers and officials.
If they would not come, he said, that would be highly disrespectful of the king, and he would fire them immediately (unless they were sick or had some kingdom duty to do).
Thus messengers were sent, and many people, hearing the invitation, went to the wedding - and they went, not so much because of the threat, but because, well, it was the king's son wedding, and they would certainly have a very good time there.
However, some of them did not come.
Why, you'll ask.
Well, the messengers that were sent to them passed through a storm and were wet and dirty from riding for two or three days to deliver the message on time. A few of them had fallen from their horses and had their clothes torn.
Therefore, on seeing them, the invited people said (with a snobbish, puffed up tone):
"Look at you! You're worse than peasants! Therefore we do not believe you! We shall go to our own party! As for you, go to the party of the pigs!"
And they laughed sarcastically.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
Then the master added:
On hearing this, the king fired the messengers, and, despite the previous threat and stern warning, praised the officials.
He even transferred the wedding feast of his son to the location of where they were to organize their party.
"Isn't it even more absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
While taking a walk along the beach, a man found a golden coin. However, on having a closer look, he found that it was rather old (he could not determine exactly how old, though, but it looked older than two hundred years).
"This coin is rather old", he said to himself, "so it is not tradeable. What need do I have of this coin?"
And he threw the coin away as worthless.
Somewhat farther, he found a bag of 'modern' coins. Some were already out of circulation, some had rusted (due to non-precious metals being present in them), and, although there were about a hundred coins, their value would not have been more than a hundredth of the golden coin (and we are underestimating the golden coin here, for as a coin it would probably cost even more than the gold in it).
However the man was happy:
"Look what a treasure I found!", he said, or rather sang, as he went back home.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A town man wanted to buy the best vegetables, so he went to the villagers' market (which was a market in town, where the villagers sold their fresh produce directly, instead of through intermediaries).
His mother had other ideas, though.
"Aren't you a town man?", her mother told him. "You could go to the supermarket, or to other shops (or, as she called them, 'town markets'), instead! They sell the same vegetables, don't they?!"
"But you like the villagers' market!"
"Do you want to be a villager?!", she shouted.
The man tried in vain to tell her that he went there because they had the best, fresh vegetables, compared to the (often refrigerated / not fresh) supermarkets and other shops (or 'town markets'), but she would not listen.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
&nb
sp; - - -
A father asked his son to play together during the weekend, whether outdoors or indoors.
But the son had work to do.
"No", he replied to his father.
"I have to commute during the weekend two hours to and from my friend's home. I'll go there to help him with school and work for about eight hours for money. When I come back home I'll be very tired. Sorry, but that's how the world works, and I just can't lose my job."
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A girl asked her mother to play with her.
But her mother saw other children, who had expensive toys, who had expensive clothes, who had rich parents, who had rich friends, some of whom were very famous.
The mother sighed.
And she refused to play with her daughter, for she was not famous, had no rich friends, was not rich, had no expensive clothes (though she was dressed normally) or toys.
And all that, despite her daughter being bullied and having no friends.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
"No", the Master continued.
"Isn't it cruel?"
- - -
A king sent a messenger to his subjects. On hearing the good news he announced, the people took the messenger and made him king.
An inventor sent a letter to a scientific magazine to announce his invention. They praised and paid the magazine editor as if he had made the invention.
A poet sent a poem to a literature magazine. They praised and paid the editor of the magazine so much that he even won a prestigious literature prize.
A painter sent a painting to a gallery. They praised and paid the gallery owner and not the painter.
Seemingly different things, yet similar.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man in a village had a hundred sheep.
The other people, jealous of his 'wealth', stole them one by one, claiming them as theirs.
The man, remaining with nothing to support him, tried to find alternatives until he could buy new sheep - and move from that place since he knew that the villagers had stolen his sheep because of envy. So he turned to fishing and hunting.
But, on seeing him fishing and hunting, the other villagers said:
"Isn't the river and the forest common?"
"Also", some added, "we put the fish in the lake, and some of them escaped and went in the river. So they belong to us!"
And they confiscated whatever he had caught.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
"Moreover, isn't it unjust?", the Master added.
But the Master had not completed his story. So he added:
"Then, a certain honest person from the village, on seeing all that injustice, and having not participated in the thievery as the other villagers, went to help the poor villager."
"But the other villagers objected and said to him: 'Are you going to help a thief?! We will not allow you!'. And so they did not let him help the poor villager, who had to leave the village. The one who wanted to help him followed suit soon after."
"Moreover, isn't it cruel?", the Master said.
- - -
A man had heard that a 'seed must die' before bearing fruit.
For this reason, he took a big hammer and smashed some of the seeds he had planned to sow.
To 'make them die', he said.
"Die! DIE!", he shouted, and he smashed them even harder.
Then he planted them, believing that they were 'dead enough'. But they did not produce any new seeds.
He looked at them, and said to himself:
"These still have their natural color!"
"They are not dead enough!"
So, he took the rest of the seeds and threw them in a big fire.
Satisfied, he took the ashes and 'planted' them again. Of course, again nothing grew of the seeds that he burned.
However, some weeds started to grow, and the man was satisfied, believing that they were of the original plant - growing because the seeds now were 'really, verily, truly dead enough'.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man had heard that a caterpillar would eventually transform into a beautiful butterfly.
So, he took one to feed and 'help in becoming a butterfly'.
He saw the caterpillar eat and eat and grow and grow.
Frustrated, the man said to the caterpillar:
"Why are you eating so much? You have to become a butterfly! How are you gonna fly like that?! Butterflies are thin!"
So the man removed the food source from the caterpillar.
Despite that, the caterpillar started forming a cocoon.
"Why are you hiding now?!", the man observing the caterpillar said.
"You should turn into a butterfly, not remain hidden in that form!"
And the man destroyed the cocoon the caterpillar tried to form.
Eventually the caterpillar could not become a butterfly, and died.
But the man said:
"That's what happens when you eat so much and don't try to become a butterfly, instead!"
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man had cut branches from trees to graft them to other trees.
Although he told the people working for him that these branches were intended for grafting, one of the workers saw them and said to himself:
"The boss is stupid! These branches have no roots! How will they grow? I will help him!"
So, without asking his boss, he threw them in the fire.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
Two curious cases appeared before the court:
A woman's daughter was very sick, but she got a call from the children's hospital where she worked. So, she left her daughter sick and alone. 'To help the other children', she said as she left. But her daughter died.
Similarly, another woman's daughter was sick, and she, too, got a call from the children's hospital where she worked. She refused to go to work, and was fired. Neither her daughter, nor any children in the hospital died.
But the judge did not punish the first woman, but sent the second one to jail 'for refusing to fulfill her duty'. That, despite the fact that her husband had died, and her daughter would become an orphan.
On hearing the mother complain about her daughter being sent to an institution, the judge said to her:
"OK, then, we will not send your daughter to an institution. She will stay with the other woman for she lost her own daughter!"
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
On seeing the man who had heard that a 'seed must die' before bearing fruit and proceeded to do so, another man said to himself:
"That was very stupid! For a seed must live! It should live among living things!"
For this reason, he took some seeds and threw them among other plants, for they were 'living'.
The birds of the sky ate most of those seeds. Very little, if any, managed to grow.
He similarly threw a good portion of the seeds in the forest, where almost nothing grew.
Then, on seeing other birds, the man said to himself:
"Those are living creatures, too!"
So he threw the seeds in the midst of them.
Of course, the birds ate the seeds and nothing grew.
Finally, the man said:
"The city! I forgot the city where a lot of people live!"
So he threw the rest of the seeds on the roads and pavements and squares and houses. If something managed to grow, that was very rare, and not profitable anyway.
As a result, the man only managed to recover only a very small portion of what he had originally, which, obviously, was a net loss.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
Some curious cases appeared before the court:
A rich man had (admittedly!) kille
d several men, but because he had also helped a lot of poor people, he was let free.
A poor man had taken fruit from a tree that he found on the road. The tree, as it turned out, belonged to another person. He was sent to jail for a year, because, being poor, he did not help a lot of people like the rich man.
Now, in a similar manner, another man had (admittedly!) hired another man to kill several men he did not like, but because he had also helped a lot of poor people, he and the man he had hired were let free.
Finally, a poor man had his little son climb a tree they saw on the road and get fruit. The tree, as it turned out, belonged to another person and so the man was sent to jail for a year, because, being poor, he did not help a lot of people like the rich man. Further, they took his son and sent him to an institution - for at least ten years! - because he was not considered a good father for him.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A master hired servants to work for him.
But all the servants proved to be very clumsy and destroyed almost all the master's property.
So, some servants worked in a farm.
Examples of their bad management were that they put all eggs in sacks which they threw here and there, and they were broken. Milk was put in broken vessels, vegetables were let to dry or were let to rot, cows and animals starved, the water became polluted, and many such things.
But the servants who worked in the farm said:
"For sure the master will punish us, because the painters have not painted the house and stables very well! Also, the florists have not watered the plants and they have withered! But the master loves the flowers, so he will punish us for sure!"
Some other people lost almost all the metals of the house, including jewelry. They had gone to a volcano to 'purify the metals', but almost everything they had been carrying fell in the lava and was lost and could not be recovered.
But those servants said:
"For sure master will punish us, for these remaining items have become black and we don't know how to polish them!"
Finally, some other servants were transporting goods either by land or by sea. They, too, lost almost everything, but feared the wrath of their master because the cook was not cooking very well in the ship, or because the means of land transport were damaged a bit.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A certain slave owner maltreated his slaves.
He beat them during the night, but sent doctors in the morning to patch their wounds so that the slaves could work again for him during the day.
But people said: "Behold, what a gentleman he is! He pays from his own pocket for the health and well-being of his slaves!"
That, despite the fact that the 'well-being' costs were a fraction of the profit he made off his slaves.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A man abused his wife both verbally and physically.
But he bought her expensive jewelry and gifts, and expensive car, and often went with her to expensive places.
And people said: "Behold, what a good husband he is! See how well he treats his wife!"
That, despite the fact that he also abused his children both verbally and physically.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
A woman abused her husband psychologically and legalistically by threatening to divorce him. Both her father and brother were lawyers, and she knew that, anyway, she would get custody of the children as well as half (or more) of her husband's wealth.
But because she was pretty and famous, people said: "Behold, what a nice wife she is! He must be lucky to have her by his side!"
That, despite the fact that she cheated on him quite often.
"Isn't it absurd?", the Master asked.
- - -
One of the students rose up and asked the Master:
"Master, what is the purpose of what you said? Isn't it useless to us, isn't it absurd?"
Then, the Master replied:
"When you use a plate to eat, do you also eat the porcelain? When you use a glass to drink, do you also drink the air?"
On hearing this the student became illuminated.
Thoughts
001
There are depths that are reached from surfaces.
There are surfaces that are reached from depths.
002
What does one write when he has no more a "muse"? I don't know about you, but I start writing more philosophical things, like: "What does one write when he has no more a "muse"? I don't know about you, but I start writing more philosophical things, like: "What does one write when he has no more a "muse"? I don't know about you, but I...
003
Told about 'ideal' receiving non-giving, saw 'normal' giving receiving, facing non-receiving giving.. wondering about the sense of it all...
004
I did an experiment and learned a lesson, I learned a lesson and did an experiment...
005
When all you have is a battery, a battery is what you have - you don't usually call that a "circuit".
006
And then, nobody asked what was the lesson and what the experiment...
007
1000 moving towards direction 'A' fast. 1 moving towards direction 'B' slowly.
The physics question: "Did you understand the problem?".
The math question: "What if 3 out of 1000 changed direction?".
The literature question: "What is the current and future speed?"
008
If by definition the square root of -1 is the "imaginary" number "i", is the square root of i "beyond imagination"?
009
I guess it's stupid to blame the world for one's own faults, but it's stupid as well to praise it for its own ones.
010
In a totalitarian state the government brainwashes people. In a democracy is the government brainwashed by people?
011
Searching for a suitable bridge to carry your stuff safely and efficiently to the other side is NOT the same as burning the previous ones.
012
For good or bad - There is a power that can be seen: that of action. And then, there is a power that can't be seen: that of inaction.
013
I've heard that the search for unconventional similarities compared to that for conventional dissimilarities is rather fruitless, but ain't that just "conventional wisdom"?
014
The receiver may be reminded of the giver by a gift received. The giver may be reminded of the receiver by a gift not (yet) given.
015
Have you ever been to a war?
If so, what did you learn from it?
016
"Civilization" is the voluntary agreement of people to subdue their "corrupt, savage nature" - and their involuntary agreement to exactly the reverse (opposite).
017
What and how much (that is positive) is left after you remove the percentages of self (one-sided) interest and mutual (two-sided) self interest?
018
People care about their (free) choice, but I wonder if they care for who, what, how and why influenced them to make that choice.
019
If you know Sun Tzu, then you should probably learn about Laozi, and if you know Laozi then you might want to learn about Wan Zhu, and Tu Zhi, and...
020
If people freely choose to be slaves, are they free or are they slaves (at least regarding the - particular - choice they made)?
021
Is choosing the "lesser" evil still choosing evil?
022
Before you ask "How are you?" it might be wise to ask yourself "How are we?"
023
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". But they forgot to tell you that you'll need water and sugar (or honey) for that... So, you'd have to exchange some of the lemons for water/sugar
/honey first. And then, even if you make lemonade, you can't live only on lemonade (or lemons) all your life...
024
I think that "How can I help you?" is much more powerful than "How are you?", for where one is a request for information, the other is a request for action.
025
I think there are probably several organizations to protect women, but I wonder, are there any organizations to protect men out there?
026
I like tradition because I see it as a way of preserving diversity.
I don't like tradition because, by definition, it does not diversify.
027
When two people marry, are two individuals marrying, or two families?
028
Although it is good to forgive those who have hurt you, in the majority of cases you're still hurt and in need of healing.
029
Judgment without love is like punishment without judgment.
030
In the end, instead of being "servants to one another" are people more likely to be "slaves of one another"?
031
When you knock once and you don't get a reply, you knock a second time. If you still don't get a reply and still insist, aren't you disturbing?
032
Is an isolated society, taken as a group, considered to be "alone"?
Is a solitary person considered to be "in the company of silence" (or the walls, nature, his thoughts, etc)?
033
Uncertainty principle: Precise measurement of interaction tiredness when one or both parties are either very tired or not interested at all.
034
It's sad, the rejection of beauty wrapped in (perceived) ugly packaging, the receiving of ugliness wrapped in (perceived) nice packaging.
035
I think you can learn a lot about people's originality just by asking them how they want(ed) their wedding day to be...
036
The silence can be broken simply by talking about it. Does remaining silent break the talking?
037
In work towards rest, in rest towards work
038
In rest towards motion, in motion towards rest
039
Are people more afraid of the (relatively) unknown positives, or unknown neutrals, than they are afraid of the (relatively) known negatives?
040
They say that if you wake up with an idea, that's what you should do in your life. What should I do, waking up with no particular ideas, but going to sleep with many ones?
041
When 'like' becomes a number, is there a tendency to only like the number?
042
What is more interesting, the interest on non-interest or the non-interest on interest?
043
In the real world you remember the birthday.
In the virtual world the birthday remembers you!
044
What happens when answers to non-questions become questions to non-answers?
045
If you have lost what for you is not a win, then have you lost, or won, or none of them, or both of them?
046
If I saw no difference (or thought so), that doesn't necessarily mean that the difference did not see me (or thought so)...
047
People do not exist only one day in the year.
048
Is "beggar" the only definition of "poor"?
049
Numbers don't tell the whole truth; Neither does the multitude of people do so...
050
1/2 * 1/2 * 4 = 1 and 1/100 * 1/100 * 1 = 1/10000
051
Depends on who you ask...
Depends on who is asking...
052
Is anyone lost if nobody is looking for him?
053
I collect non-answers..
054
Have you ever danced along with the sand in the wind? Have you seen the footprints it leaves over the dunes of the desert?
055
Although I talk to robots, I can't understand all of them, all the time.
056
Above the "rule of law" there is the rule of righteousness, and there is no true righteousness without the rule of mercy and of love.
057
Does repeated 'outside the box' thinking eventually turn into yet another 'box'?
058
Think outside of the box - xob eht edisni kcehc
059
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. NICE! Now, what if nobody buys your lemonade or lemons?
060
There are precious gifts wrapped in simple boxes. But, there are also most precious hearts wrapped in simple gifts.
061
Let the tears purify your eyes from dust, but don't let them blur your vision.
062
I think it would be somehow strange for patients ill with a potentially deadly disease to judge one-another by their symptoms. What it would be even stranger is for some (most) of them to boast about their symptoms and not about the doctor who can heal them. And yet, that is exactly what often happens in this world.
063
If you want to know more about me, READ what I WRITE.
If you want to know more about what I believe, READ what I READ.
064
How can a person work to make life "easier" if he makes his own life difficult?
065
If you are a doctor, and you're drunk, does it invalidate your advice against drunkenness? If you are a doctor, and you are a drunkard, would another drunkard trust you to help him?
066
There are two kinds of slavery, that visible, being forced by somebody to work for him, and that invisible, being forced, for lack of alternatives, to work for somebody (out of your own - supposedly - free will).
067
What is more probable to generate comments on social media: a picture of your face or a picture of your soul?
068
There is a lot of noise - and the signal difficult to find - but some have tuned to the wrong station, some have their receiver pre-tuned by others, and some have broken their tuners altogether.
069
People are notoriously good (in the bad sense) of taking what is life and, in the name of pleasing God, turning it into lifeless rules - and taking what are good principles and, in the name of freedom, turn them into bad practices.
070
Do they that believe that "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath" also believe that "Work was made for man and not man for work"? - For some took the Sabbath and made it their religion, and in the same way some others took work and made it their religion.
071
Oftentimes the 'living' rob beauty in the name of 'living' for they either can't afford or can't appreciate it in the name of life.
072
Tying an eagle's wings to make it conform with chicken is not only stupid, it is utterly cruel.
073
If you were just a bit curious, you'd soon realize that I've already spoken. If you used your curiosity and did not speak, is it right to accuse me of being silent?
074
If the style of explanation is difficult, then explaining the style of explanation is probably also going to be difficult.
075
Attempting to hire the best and strongest man to cut a tree with an axe tends to disqualify those people who have the bright idea of suggesting a (possibly-not-yet-invented) chainsaw.
076
If your glasses are defective, it is not a wise idea to randomly stack other glasses in front of them in the hope of seeing better. If your eyes need glasses, wouldn't it be better not to need glasses at all?
077
The fact that (in the vast majority of cases) there are no perfect people does not mean that there are no people whose major goal is the perfect.
078
In a mad world, you would likely
appear mad to actually NOT be mad.
079
Do they that work to 'eradicate poverty' also know how poor they are spiritually and how THAT poverty can be eradicated?
080
How can one accept the solution if the solution for him is a problem?
081
Despite what people say, I believe that the vast majority of them still do the optional as if it was necessary and the necessary as if it was optional.
082
The solution to the whole troubles of the world can be given in a single sentence, or, if you want to be laconic, in three, or two, or even a single word.
083
Repeating the same cycle of creating problems to solve the previous problems never produces a satisfactory solution.
084
I think that a good test of your open-mindedness is to accept that not only is "1+1=10" a true fact, but that it is also equivalent to "1+1=2".
085
It is not stupid to say it is stupid for people to create complex control schemes to avoid exterminating each other while they are still dead when they can choose the far simpler option of caring for each other in peace by being alive.
086
It is a rather sad story. A person is patiently waiting at the door of his HEART and you still go on knocking on the door of your OWN mental image of his being.
087
I think I also speak in parables. It is PRECISELY because of this that I don't like to call them 'parables'.
088
A thousand kilometers start with a first step...and a thousand millimeters end after a first step...
089
This is the problem: The solution was always there, but people were so busy that they would reply: "Leave me alone! Can't you see that I'm busy trying to find a solution?"
090
If your geometry only allows two dimensions, how will you understand a cube, a pyramid, a sphere, a cylinder, a cone?
091
What kind of justice that is if the judge who is sending people to prison him(her)self deserves prison, if the judge who is sentencing someone to death him(her)self deserves death?
092
Although quite often ugliness hides behind beauty, I don't think that by unmasking ugliness one should completely get rid of beauty itself.
093
Sometimes beauty appears really simple. Sometimes what appears simple is really deep.
094
Sometimes the words that speak the louder are the words that were not said.
Sometimes the more meaningful letters are the ones that have not been written.
Sometimes you can understand better what was given by what is missing.
Behind a smile, pain might be hidden - behind pain, a smile
Behind what you can see of a person, what the person knows
Behind what the person knows, only God can reveal
You can't know all the truth without knowing the lies mixed with it.
To heal, you must know the cause, not just the symptom.
The size of an iceberg is not only that out of the water.
Truth sometimes seems bitter, only because of us
Truth is really sweet, but we can't presently handle it all
Lies seem more comfortable, and that becomes our ruin
The more disgusting our hypocrisy is
when we don't recognize it as hypocrisy.
The more sad our situation becomes
when we fail to see the truth among the mass of lies
If we see only what we want to see
we might be missing what we ought to see
If we are always talking, doing, giving
we might be missing hearing, resting, receiving
Beyond the noise, in silence, this I heard somebody say.
095
One, two, three, four
Five degrees of separation -
Billions and billions of connections
Weak and strong -
Innumerable shades of opinion
Nuances of human action -
So seemingly easy to connect
So difficult to understand -
ONE TRUTH
096
Why is "ignorance" the state of not knowing and not the state of being ignored?
097
If you call someone a loser when they say "Because that's just how the world is", well, that's a truth in it that you may have just confirmed.
098
When faced with the choice of "Participate or Lose", there are many indeed the cases where you can actually WIN by losing the participation.
099
Some (most) people are so busy trying to live that they actually forget how to live.
100
I think that so much emphasis is given to the discussion or appearance of what is important that what is actually important is almost completely abandoned to the foolishness of what is not important.
101
People complain all the time about one group or the other.
Why do they not complain first of all about themselves?
102
However wise the decision system, if those that decide are foolish, the result can't help but be foolish, too.
103
I speak about what is missing, so that if and when people really want to understand, they won't miss what appears to be missing from what I speak.
104
If no one seemed to like the flowers I gathered, why would they like my criticism on the artificial flowers?
If no one seemed to like the flowers I planted in my garden, why would they like my criticism on the barren lands?
If no one seemed to like the beauty I collected, why would they like my criticism on the ugliness of the world?
105
In a world where it is respectful to be disrespectful would anyone respect you for being disrespectful to their disrespect?
106
You can not fill a full cup with what is valuable unless you first empty it of what is not valuable.
You can not fill an empty cup with what is valuable unless you have something valuable to fill it with.
107
Indeed there is a reason,
but I won't tell you the reason,
for then it would cease to be a reason,
and you,
influenced by that reason,
would cease to act as then
when you never knew the reason
108
If land animals were psychologists, they would call the sea creatures and the birds 'abnormal'. They would also say that the plants are not worthy to be called "living creatures", since they do not 'move'. If is also probable that they would criticize one-another based on their abilities.
Often men do exactly the same.
109
If you want to see the hypocrisy in art,
go visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Then I will call you a hypocrite
for spending a potentially large amount of money
to view the works of a dead painter,
that you could have spent to buy the works
of a living one.
110
If "beggar", then, is not the only definition of "poor", who will go and help the poor man if he is neither begging nor asking?
111
There are a lot of people who worship wealth as a sort of god.
Strangely enough, there are also people who worship poverty as a sort of god.
Then, there are a lot of people who worship whatever is there between those two 'extremes' as a sort of god.
112
Nobody in particular asked,
and nobody asked specifically;
Nonetheless, I wanted to answer with:
Do you really, but really, REALLY
want to UNDERSTAND?
Really?
113
I saw that everybody was speaking,
and writing, and posting audi
o, pictures and video,
and saying: "Look!" or "Hear!" or "Read!";
In the midst of a thousand opinions,
I just wanted to say:
Will everybody, please
SHUT UP!
for at least a month,
and take that time
(as a fast if you like)
to see, to hear, to read?
114
"It is better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness."
But it is worse to be completely blind in the broad daylight.
And I doubt that if you are that blind, those that want to sell you a candle, do it so that you can see.
115
In this world, there exists a form of dualism: of good and bad, of black and white.
Now, it rather easy to see the 'bad' (for it is obvious), and, on the other hand, praise the 'good', but when you criticize the 'good' for being as bad, and sometimes even worse than the 'bad', people look at you as some sort of alien.
And, who's to say that in that sort of society you have not become an 'alien' to them?
116
A good word doesn't cost anything.
It is because of this that often it is not that good after all.
117
Is man's determination to please God by doing things to the best of his abilities, a way of doing things independently of God, and hence, acting contrary to God's will?
118
The world is too much connected to be disconnected so that it can be properly re-connected.
For if it is not disconnected, it hardly will understand it's need for re-connection or the meaning of 'connection', 'disconnection' and 'proper re-connection'.
Sadly, though, even when it has been disconnected, quite often it has reconnected in the same, and sometimes, even worse way than before.
119
If the society of lemon producers would only gather together to sell lemons to one another, then their life would be very sour indeed.
120
Come and visit my Café
Open 24x7 throughout the year.
Minimum order of $5 or equivalent
(which you can share with your friends)
and a knowledge of English
121
People ask questions and give answers to find common ground or reach a compromise, but I want to ask, when the Answer asks them questions, do they pay attention?
122
Should a soldier who has the talent to spot mines, but is not able to defuse them, stay silent and not report it to his superior?
Should a soldier who has the talent to spot mines, but is not able to defuse them, stay silent and not report a mine field to his superior?
Should a man seeing a fire in the forest, but being unable to extinguish if himself, stay silent and not report it to the firefighting service?
Should a woman, noticing a foreign army coming against the city, but being not a member of the city council herself, stay silent and not report it to the city council anyway?
Should a person, seeing a person fainting in the road, being not a medic himself, stay silent and not call an ambulance?
123
Throwing a chicken down a precipice to 'make it fly like an eagle' is also not only stupid, but utterly cruel.
124
Where is the Desert?
Where is the Water?
125
You can not PROMISE to give someone who is thirsty COLD WATER immediately, if what you have is only WARM water, or, even worse, you don't have any water at all!
Of course, you can say to him where he can find water, or both together go to the water source, but that is different from promising what you very clearly do NOT have, right HERE, right NOW!
126
To better understand the difference between price and value, consider that the greatest value in the universe was once sold for about a third of an average worker's wages, which in modern terms would be about $/€/£10000 (and I'm a bit exaggerating)
127
I know it is not good to throw pearls before swine.
So, I showed an image of a pearl to them, in the hope that, among these swine populations, I could, perhaps, find a human.
128
I think I've become so transparent that I've become invisible - so invisible in fact, that I can't even verify if I've become transparent.
129
"Strike while the iron is hot"
Then, how come people strike iron (in a sword fight for example, or to work the land, or to cook) while it is cold?
130
Albanians have a saying, which essentially means:
"Do not judge a person by what he wears, but by the work he does"
Now, what if the work of the man in question consists in making clothes and incidentally he wears the clothes he makes?
131
Don't mind!
Now, what if you 'heart'?
132
Soup does not become suddenly tasty just by stirring it.
133
People call a rainy day 'bad weather'.
Now, would they still call it 'good', I wonder, if it doesn't rain for a year? What, then, if it doesn't rain for five years?
Then, what if it rains CONTINUALLY for a year? Or, if it continues raining for five years?
134
I got so tired of hearing on every side "Do something!" that, ironically, I went to an empty stage and spoke to the silence of the empty seats: "Can you please all sit down - and do nothing - but listen?"
Now, if that was nothing, or, if something, how much something it was, I do not know.
But it must have meant something...I think.
135
Every school is about learning, and so they look for teachers and ask for their life story (that is, their CV).
Now, what about someone who has mastered the art of unlearning; where should he sent the life of his story (as contrasted with the story of his life)?
What is the unschool of unlearning, then, that would hire that person?
136
If a majority of cells do their 'work correctly', but many others do not, does not the body still suffer anyway, is not the body as a whole sick anyway?
137
On the surface, it may look like I paused for a bit in writing poems, but that isn't completely true. And how will that poem look like, you may ask. Well, it looks like a saying, that may start like: "On the surface, it may look like I paused for a bit in writing poems, but that isn't completely true. And how will that poem look like, you may ask. Well, it looks like a saying, that may start like: "On the surface, it may look like I paused for a bit in writing poems, but that isn't completely true...
138
In a way, choosing a good photograph, is still a form of photography.
In a way, choosing good art, is still a form of art.
139
Almost everyone who can see or hear, can recognize a poor man begging for bread.
Who has eyes to see and ears to hear a heart begging for love, though?
140
I know, I may be somewhat paraphrasing a bit:
A poem may (often) not fill your stomach with bread.
But often you do not have enough bread because poetry is missing.
About the author
Vangjel Canga (Vanca) was born in Tirana, Albania in 1979 where he also completed high school in 1998.
Since 1998 he has studied and worked in Athens, Greece (except for a one-year break for studying in England, UK).
He has written his first poems around 1996, but has worked more seriously in this direction during the 2004-2005 period and since 2008. The poems in this book are selected from 2004 and 2008 and after.
Besides poetry, he is also interested in the visual arts like painting and photography, and also music.
He has written four poetry books, “The Visual Non Visuals” (mainly life/philosophical poems and some romantic poems), “Passenger Illusions”
(mainly romantic poems), “Modern Poetry” and “The Bouquet of Poems” (similar to “The Visual Non Visuals”).
In addition, he has lately published a collection of short stories (“The Word and the Interpretation”), including the “Thoughts” chapter as presented in this book (with the addition of a few extras not present here).
You can contact the author and read more about this and other projects in the addresses presented in page nr. 2 (directly after the title page).
Thank you!
About this book
Selected poems from the author's books: “The Visual Non Visuals”, “Passenger Illusions”, “Modern Poetry” and “The Bouquet of Poems” (available as print and ebook versions) as well as some other poems. Also a short story from “The Word and the Interpretation”.
This book is meant to 'grow' with new poems (and not only) in the future.
Update History
May 07, 2017
Eight new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
March 11, 2017
“Thoughts”, 136-140
Eight new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
January 14, 2017
“Thoughts”, 132-135
Five new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
December 24, 2016
Poems from “The Bouquet of Poems”:
“The Return”
“The Bouquet of Poems”
“The Floral Motif”
October 09, 2016
Four new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
September 03, 2016
Three new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
August 18, 2016
“Thoughts”, 129-131
Two new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
July 17, 2016
“Thoughts”, 115-128
July 12, 2016
Eight new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
March 14, 2016
Six new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories and a longer story substituting a shorter one.
January 10, 2016
One new “Isn't it absurd” mini story
“Thoughts”, 108-114
October 18, 2015
Two new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
September 27, 2015
Three new “Isn't it absurd” mini stories
Removed duplicate from 'Thoughts'.
September 12, 2015
“Thoughts”, 090-108
Added “Stories” chapter, “Isn't it absurd”
March 14, 2015
“Thoughts”, 062-089
“Short Poems”, 007
April 21, 2014
“Thoughts”, 057-061
February 18, 2014
Added “Short Poems” chapter, 001-006
“Thoughts”, 035-056
September 03, 2013
“Flower demining”
“Commander and winner”
“The Market of Earthenware”
“Thoughts”, 019-034
May 27, 2013
“Unemployed Week”
“Modern Poetry”
Added “Thoughts” chapter, 001-018
April 01, 2013:
“The slavery of men”
February 18, 2013:
First Edition
“Names in time”
“Engraved in the silence”
“Coins of time”
“Shoe romanticism”
“The visual non-visuals”
“Colorful musical eyes”
“As the sunflower”
“I gave my hand”
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