Rest in Peace Karl Papendick shot down in his prime

Bear with me on this one.

Carpenter Shih was on his way to Chi, when he came to the place called Chu Yuan, where saw an oak tree which was venerated as the home of the spirits of the land. The tree was so vast that a thousand oxen could hide behind it. It was a hundred spans round and it soared above the hill to eighty feet before it even began to put out branches. There where ten such branches, from any one of which an entire boat could be carved. Masses of people came to see it, giving the place a carnival atmosphere, but carpenter Shih didn't even look round, just went on his way. His assistant looked at it with great intensity, and then chased after his master and said,'Since I first took up my axe and followed you, I have never seen wood such as this. Sir, why did you not even glance at it nor stop, but just kept going?'

He said, 'Silence not another word! The tree is useless. Make a boat from it and it would sink; make a coffin from it and it would rot quickly; make some furniture from it and it would fall to pieces; make a door and it would be covered in seeping sap; make apillar and it would be worm eaten. This wood is useless and good for nothing. This is why it has lived so long.'

When Master Shih was returning, the tree appeared to him in a dream, saying , 'What exactly are you comparing me with? With ornamental fruit trees? Trees such as the hawthorn, pear tree, orange trees, citrus trees, gourds and other such fruit trees? Their fruits are knocked down when they are ripe and the trees suffer. The big branches are damaged and the small ones are broken off. Because they are useful they suffer, and they are unable to live out the years heaven has given them. They only have their usefulness to blame for this destruction wrought by the people. It is the same with all things. I have spent a long time studying to be useless, though on a couple of occasions I was nearly destroyed. However, now I have perfected the art of uselessness, and this is very useful, to me! If I had been of use, could I have grown so vast? Furthermore, you and I are both things. How can you a useless man about to die, know anything about a useless tree? 

Chuang Tzu

   

Thanksgiving 2008