Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!taz From: taz@media.mit.edu (Brian Shea) Subject: [Green] & [Zen] A 'Conversation' Message-ID: <1993Aug3.143557.1556@news.media.mit.edu> Sender: news@news.media.mit.edu (USENET News System) Organization: MIT Media Laboratory References: <1993Aug3.141733.1227@news.media.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1993 14:35:57 GMT Lines: 70 The old man had no sense of time, he simply was. His body's functions had slowed, and sat statue-like in a lotus position on a spot of grass in the Green. His mind was floating, only a thin tether anchoring it to his body, in an infinite void. He waited, letting his mind drift where it would. Ever so slowly, his mind picked up speed, drifting in a specific direction. You see, the phrase 'weighty thoughts' has meaning in this void. The only thing with mass in this void was thought, and the gravity of the thoughts acted to attract each other. Bad puns, true, but vital truths for this unique dimension, which had been created by the old man. These truths were the laws of physics for the void and made it into a useful tool. As the man's mind drifted toward the other thoughts in this void, he became able to 'hear' the other thoughts, this being the closest analogy for what he actually did. The thoughts were not that of a single being, but those of a group mind. He had expected this. In fact, he had even dealt with such situations before. thought the old man. There was a period of confusion from the thought-form, and then it organized itself. If you picture them as a group of people, one of them stepped forward. was the response, although the picture-concepts of I and we were very different than those of the man. Again, he had dealt with this problem before, and he knew how to filter his thoughts so that the thought-form would understand. thought the man, filtering the 'I' and the 'we' to appropriate concepts. The man felt a probing, and allowed it. The probing grew stronger, delving deeper, and the mind of the man 'squeezed', gently but firmly cutting off the probe. The thought 'Joshua' was much more than a word, it was a presence. The main themes were peace, harmony, and a sense of patience that ran as deep as an ocean. Entwined throughout was a feeling best described as a kindly smile. The presence was at odds with almost everything it knew of the short-lived and impulsive humans. The presence was comforting, and the Green couldn't help but feel safer. The Green 'smiled' back. ----- the old man aka Brian Shea aka taz@media.mit.edu Well, whaddya think? press 'r' now.