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eli_sennesh comments on Open thread, 21-27 April 2014 - Less Wrong
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A koan:
A monk came to Master Banzen and asked, "What can be said of universal moral law?"
Master Banzen replied, "Among the Tyvari of Arlos, all know that borlitude is highly frumful. For a Human of Earth, is quambling borl forbidden, permissible, laudable or obligatory?"
The monk replied, "Mu."
Master Banzen continued, "Among the Humans of Earth, all know that friendship is highly good. For a Tyvar of Arlos, is making friends forbidden, permissible, laudable or obligatory?"
The monk replied, "Mu," and asked no more.
Qi's Commentary: The monk's failure was one of imagination. His question was not foolish, but it was parochial.
I don't really know anything about the Tyvar of Arlos, so I'm pretty confused on this front, but I'm fairly sure you're relating a Talmudic anecdote, not a Zen one ;-). "Forbidden, permissible, laudable, or obligatory" says to me that we're contemplating halachah.
I would hope you don't know anything about them—they were made up on the spot. ^_^
And yes, I suppose the style here might well have been influenced from more than one place.