258. the sunflower’s naught

the sunflower had one rule: “never speak ill of the sun.”

the guru had one rule: “if someone says they’ll never do something, make them do it.”

so the guru asked the sunflower, “isn’t the sun sometimes too hot?”

the sunflower said, “that is like asking the tortoise if lettuce is sometimes too green.”

so the guru asked, “do you resent it for leaving at night?”

the sunflower said, “do you resent #zen for being hard to attain?”

the guru said, “yes.”

the sunflower said, “well, i don’t.”

the guru asked, “isn’t round boring? isn’t yellow bland?”

the sunflower said, “these questions are what’s boring and bland.”

the guru said, “couldn’t the sun be bigger?”

the sunflower replied, “couldn’t your mouth be smaller?”

the guru gave up and went back to his school.