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                                         -5-
       
       
       A ZEN STORY
       
              by Camden Benares, The Count Five Headmaster, Camp Meeker Cabal
       
       A serious young man found the conflicts of mid-20th century America 
       confusing.  He went to many people seeking a way of resolving within 
       himself the discords that troubled him, but he remained troubled.
                                                                          One 
       night in a coffee house, a self-ordained Zen Master said to him, "Go 
       to the dilapidated mansion you will find at this address which I have 
       written down for you.  Do not speak to those who live there; you must 
       remain silent until the moon rises the tomorrow night.  Go to the 
       large room on the right of the main hallway, sit in the lotus position 
       on top of the rubble in the northeast corner, face the corner, and 
       meditate."
                   He did as the Zen Master instructed.  His meditation was 
       frequently interrupted by worries.  He worried whether or not the rest 
       of the plumbing fixtures would fall from the second floor bathroom to 
       join the pipes and other trash he was sitting on.  He worried how 
       would he know when the moon rose on the next night.  He worried about 
       what the people who walked through the room said about him.
                                                                    His 
       worrying and meditation were disturbed when, as if in a test of his 
       faith, ordure fell from the second floor onto him.  At that time two 
       people walked into the room.  The first asked the second who the man 
       sitting there was.  The second replied, "Some say he is a holy man.  
       Others say he is a shithead."
                                      Hearing this, the man was enlightened.
       
       FOR DEPOSIT ONLY