The Buddha Looks Down

From the permanent heights of Nirvana the Buddha looks down.

He smiles in his irritating fashion.

What's so funny? asks Nietszche.

Sweezus, says the Buddha. He hasn't disconnected the water. Look, it's flooding.

Perhaps he doesn't know how to, says Nietszche.

He lied about doing it, says the Buddha. To get rid of an unwanted guest.

Yes, that is wrong behaviour, says Nietszche. It shows lack of willpower.

Nothing wrong with that, says the Buddha.

Not up here, says Nietszche. But down there.....What would you have done, Gautama?

Disconnected the water, says Gautama. It's surprisingly easy. You locate the stopcock, take off the cover, look for a valve with a metal flange and turn it off using a pipe wrench.

Katherine was right, then, says Nietszche.

Women are often underestimated, says Gautama. Look there now, at Ray and Margaret fighting with pencils.

She's giving him a run for his money, says Nietszche.

She must lose in the end, says Gautama. It is written.

Very fatalist of you, says Nietszche. But what interests me more is, whence came the pencils?

You haven't been being observant, says Gautama.

Enlighten me, says Nietszche.

You won't believe it, says Gautama.

If you say so, says Nietszche.

They looked everywhere for a couple of pencils, but couldn't find even one, says Gautama.

Not that one would have been very useful, says Nietszche.

And then Gaius came in, says Gautama.

Gaius never has any pencils, says Nietszche.

That's what we mistakenly think, says Gautama. But he had two new pencils!

And he lent them to Ray and Margaret to fight with? (Nietszche can't quite believe it).

Not willingly, says Gautama. Until he was offered the part of Cacambo.

Proving that there is no permanence to self, says Nietszche. Is that not so, Gautama?

Exactly so, says Gautama. We should write that down. Do you have a pencil?