| | | | 
  fortune index  all fortunes 
  
 |  |  | #21 |  | All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies. -- The Book of Bokonon / Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
 
 |  |  |  | #22 |  | All of us should treasure his Oriental wisdom and his preaching of a Zen-like detachment, as exemplified by his constant reminder to clerks,
 tellers, or others who grew excited by his presence in their banks:
 "Just lie down on the floor and keep calm."
 -- Robert Wilson, "John Dillinger Died for You"
 
 |  |  |  | #23 |  | An idea is an eye given by God for the seeing of God.  Some of these eyes we cannot bear to look out of, we blind them as quickly as possible.
 -- Russell Hoban, "Pilgermann"
 
 |  |  |  | #24 |  | An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it. 
 |  |  |  | #25 |  | An older student came to Otis and said, "I have been to see a great number of teachers and I have given up a great number of pleasures.
 I have fasted, been celibate and stayed awake nights seeking enlightenment.
 I have given up everything I was asked to give up and I have suffered, but
 I have not been enlightened.  What should I do?"
 Otis replied, "Give up suffering."
 -- Camden Benares, "Zen Without Zen Masters"
 
 |  |  |  | #26 |  | And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.
 -- Kahlil Gibran
 
 |  |  |  | #27 |  | Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all.  Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around --
 nobody big, I mean -- except me.  And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy
 cliff.  What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go
 over the cliff -- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're
 going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.  That's all I'd do
 all day.  I'd just be the catcher in the rye.  I know it;  I know it's crazy,
 but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.  I know it's crazy.
 -- J.D. Salinger, "Catcher in the Rye"
 
 |  |  |  | #28 |  | Approaching the gates of the monastery, Hakuin found Ken the Zen preaching to a group of disciples.
 "Words..." Ken orated, "they are but an illusory veil obfuscating
 the absolute reality of --"
 "Ken!" Hakuin interrupted. "Your fly is down!"
 Whereupon the Clear Light of Illumination exploded upon Ken, and he
 vaporized.
 On the way to town, Hakuin was greeted by an itinerant monk imbued
 with the spirit of the morning.
 "Ah," the monk sighed, a beatific smile wrinkling across his cheeks,
 "Thou art That..."
 "Ah," Hakuin replied, pointing excitedly, "And Thou art Fat!"
 Whereupon the Clear Light of Illumination exploded upon the monk,
 and he vaporized.
 Next, the Governor sought the advice of Hakuin, crying: "As our
 enemies bear down upon us, how shall I, with such heartless and callow
 soldiers as I am heir to, hope to withstand the impending onslaught?"
 "US?" snapped Hakuin.
 Whereupon the Clear Light of Illumination exploded upon the
 Governor, and he vaporized.
 Then, a redneck went up to Hakuin and vaporized the old Master with
 his shotgun.  "Ha! Beat ya' to the punchline, ya' scrawny li'l geek!"
 
 |  |  |  | #29 |  | Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: "Now it's complete because it's ended here."
 -- Muad'dib, "Dune"
 
 |  |  |  | #30 |  | As failures go, attempting to recall the past is like trying to grasp the meaning of existence.  Both make one feel like a baby clutching at
 a basketball: one's palms keep sliding off.
 -- Joseph Brodsky
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |            ...   | 
 
  art   computers   cookie   definitions   education   ethnic   food   fortunes   humorists   kids   law   literature   love   medicine   men-women   news   paradoxum   people   pets   platitudes   politics   riddles   science   sports   wisdom   work
 | 
 | 
 | 
 |  |  
 | |  |  |  |  | | | You're not logged in! If you don't have an account yet, please register one and get your very own elite (but free) BGA account! | 
 |  | 
 |  |  |  |  | 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
 |