THE CARROT & THE TOMATO...

The master was shopping for vegetables at the market when a vendor asked him, " O Venerable One, what are you going to prepare with your purchases?"

"I am cooking a stew for my fellow communicants."

"But doesn't a stew require meat?"

The master extracted a bunch of carrots and said, "Here is my meat?"

"That isn't meat," asserted the vendor.

"Do you see with my eyes?" asked the master. "Do you smell with my nose? Do you taste with my mouth?"

"No."

He next pulled a tomato from his basket.

"This makes a wonderful roast," chuckled the master.

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THE CROW...

I was walking through Sabal Palms sanctuary when I felt something soft hit my head. I ran my hand through my hair only to discover that something had defecated on me. I peered into a tree and scoured the branches. A crow was perched on a limb. He defecated again on my head. "I hope you feel better," I said. The crow flapped its wings and flew away.

WINE...

The master gazed toward the horizon from the window in his cell. In the distance he could see the spires that overlooked the plaza. On foot from the monastery it was an hour journey to the city's center. On his table was a glass, an uncorked bottle of wine and a plate of salami, cheese and crackers. The sun was disappearing behind the mountains. Three hours later a full moon filled the sky. The bottle was empty. The plate was empty. The master asked himself: "Have I attained a temporary state of nirvana or am I slightly inebriated?" He relished the passing euphoria. "Not every question has an answer," he thought to himself. "And not every question requires an answer."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

The master was celebrating his 70th birthday. It was neither here nor there for him. He had risen earlier than usual. He drank several glasses of water and embarked on a long walk that took him along several streams, through wooden areas, past fields of corn interspersed by stretches of green and finally over a knoll that dropped down onto the monastery's grounds. He ate a large bowl of chicken soup filled with vegetables. He drank several more glasses of water and retired to the garden where he sheltered himself under a large hat. He wasn't sure about the knowledge that he had gained from several decades on this orb except that he had been lucky. He had been blessed with loving parents, a strong body, a good education and a healthy curiosity. A smile creased his still youthful face as he quietly sang "Happy Birthday" to himself.

THE MASTER

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