The Uniqueness of Consciousness

Sweezus is thinking about buying a postcard when Baby Pierre's hat falls off and rolls under the table.

See? says Baby Pierre. It's no good.

Sweezus bends down to retrieve it, just as Edith walks by.

Seeing Baby Pierre on the table she stops to say hello to her small one-time saintly companion.

Sweezus, having found the bottle top, sits up, to find himself staring at Edith.

Oh! says Edith. Hello. I was just passing.

Yeah, says Sweezus. That's cool. I was just going to look for a postcard.

Me too, says Terence. See you later, escalator.

Ha ha, laughs Baby Pierre. (Terence is so funny).

I have a postcard, says Edith. I just bought it. Would you like to see it?

Uh.

No, he wouldn't. But Sweezus is (fairly) polite.

Yeah, all right, says Sweezus.

She shows him her postcard. It's an image of the Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai.

I could show you where to buy one, says Edith. It was only one euro.

The Burj al Arab stands on an artificial island, and is the world's fourth tallest building.

Sweezus doesn't know this, but he likes the shape of the building. It looks like the sail of a ship, with a helipad at the top, to one side, like a floating white saucer.

Impressive? says Edith.

Yep, says Sweezus.

Actually, I don't need this, says Edith. Would you like it?

Okay, says Sweezus. I need another nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine, but this one will be awesome.

Edith gives Sweezus the postcard.

Goodbye, perhaps we'll meet again, says Edith.

She walks off.

Creepy.

.......

Gaius and Kong have walked past hundreds of shops and improved their circulation.

Now they are sitting beside the fish pond, in the Zen Gardens.

Kong has bought a new pen.

I generally prefer a pencil, says Gaius.

A pencil is good for a man who makes frequent mistakes, says Kong.

I shall ignore that, says Gaius.

Good place for it, says Kong.

What? says Gaius.

Zen Gardens, says Kong. Good for clearing the mind.

He gazes into the fishpond.

The Treatise on the Uniqueness of Consciousness floats into his head space.

Gaius starts humming, as he makes a to-do list.

A lady is sitting nearby, under a tree, studying her bible, from which ribbons fly.

Reality is equal to the Universal mind.

That's what first generation Neo-Confucianists think.

And also, what the fish think.