an old writer and his words

  • NIL, ZERO, NADA, NYET

    This morning absolutely nothing happened. The newswires were silent, or repeated old stories. The sports wires had nothing of note to say, save repeating yesterday’s scores. Even the gossip news was absent, as though a Saturday night passed without embarrassment. I did not mind the quiet, the almost silence, able to listen to the Mockingbird’s…

    Lou Faber

  • STARING

    She stares at you, unwavering. You find this strange, wanting to see something more in her looks, but you get nothing from her, as you have gotten nothing from so many others before her. You know men are as capable of such stares as she, but you don’t tend to see them, your own gender…

    Lou Faber

  • BODHIDHARMA’S VAST EMPTINESS

    If you go walking one day and meet a person you think may be the Buddha, ask him what is the heart of all of the sutras. If he answers you with Dharma will you be certain this person is not the Buddha? If, on the other hand, he says nothing at all, and merely…

    Lou Faber

  • RE-ENTRY ALLOWED

    He sits on the cushion staring through hooded eyes at the wall in front of him. He expects exactly nothing to happen, expects there to be no sound within his mind, only what happens without, expects that time will cease for him, or will at least cease to matter. He is not disappointed. The bell…

    Lou Faber

  • YAKUSAN’S LAKE 鐵笛倒吹 八十八

    When you travel from home and are asked if the lake on the shore of which you live is now full, what can you say. Will you speak of the rains that soaked your fields and what of the herd of water buffalo come to graze since you have left. The eye sees only now…

    Lou Faber

  • SELFLESS

    The true self is no-self, and this self is not self, but illusion and delusion, where delusion is enlightenment, and nothing is as it seems for nothing is and only seems and so it is with self, so let go of this self and no-self will appear, though it was always there.

    Lou Faber

  • UN4SEEN

    Next week, somewhere, something will happen. Several people will say they foresaw it, others will be equally certain it was entirely unpredictable. The truth, of course, will be elusive allowing everyone the certainty of uncertainty. It would be so much easier if nothing happened but things never happen according to anyone’s overly simple plans.

    Lou Faber

  • INFINITY

    A three year old can easily understand that a full cup can hold nothing  but an empty cup has an infinite capacity.

    Lou Faber

  • A MONESTARY HEAD IS SELECTED 鐵笛倒吹 七十四

    A starving man will prefer a crust of bread over an invitation to a future feast. When asked what you seek, what do you say? When asked why you seek it, what is your answer? When you expect nothing you will not be disappointed. A relection on case 74 of the Iron Flute.

    Lou Faber

  • PRACTICING NOTHING

    We assume our seats, listen for the bell and then do nothing. Doing nothing is far more difficult that doing something. Doing nothing is something that takes great practice. You can practice doing something, but eventually, with sufficient practice, you may master that something. You never master doing nothing, for nothing is infinitely broad, something…

    Lou Faber