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1989-04-05
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58 lines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ KNOCKING COPY ~
~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ~
~ by David Fright ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviews of products, services and just about everything in general
in the computer media is full of what some call 'knocking copy'
Some of the writers of such items might be interested in a story
told me by my Japanese Judo teacher forty years ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Zen Master was walking in the forest very early one morning
when his peace was disturbed by the sound of somebody shouting
obscenities. He looked through the trees and saw that the
enormous row was coming from just one person. A Samurai, who was for a
Samurai quite small, shouting at a tree.
"Why do you shout at the tree ?", the Master asked in a quiet voice.
"Has it done you some harm?"
Without even turning to face the Master, the Samurai replied that
he had lost patience with the tree because he had noticed that the tree
had grown taller and taller with the years, whereas he had stopped
growing some time ago.
The Master explained that this was the way of Nature, we humans
stop growing physically but there is no end to the way in which we may
grow mentally. The tree on the other hand would continue to get taller
for many years to come..
He was stopped in mid-sentence by the Samurai. With a practised
ease so fast that it was almost unseen, the warrior drew his sword and
felled the tree in one move. "This tree will grow no more " said the
Samurai,looking at the long slender trunk now lying at his feet.
"But nor will you ", the Zen Master said, "and the tree is still
taller than you even though it is on the floor"
The Samurai was still angry and the words from the Master were
unheeded as in his anger he proceeded to chop the tree into small pieces.
Soon he was surrounded by splinters of wood and as he wiped the sweat
from his brow he turned to the Master and asked "Who is the tallest now
O Wise One ?"
"Why you are of course ", said he, turning to walk away..
"...But are YOU any taller than before ?"
~~~~~eof~~~~~