Here's some more stuff that didn't make it in to my last post - mostly comparisons of the stories and a couple of little tidbits. THE STORY OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA At the age of sixteen he went to Calcutta but was disgusted by the material- istic ideals of the people of the great metropolis. He eventually became a priest in the Dakenshineswar Temple and practically without the help of any teacher obtained the vision of God. THE STORY OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA At the age of sixteen Gautama faced the reality of adulthood. His family was rich and he lived a life of luxury but was not satisfied by it and made a journey. For 6 years he wandered the Ganges, learning from famous religious teachers, none of which satisfied him. Meditating by the river Neranjara after years of meditation in a forest full of wild animals, he suddenly experienced unexpected and indescribable enlightenment. He realised that once a man stops trying to control his life and environment, and attempting the impossible, he feels liberated from the everlasting round of birth and death. THE STORY OF `THE CATCHER IN THE RYE' A sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield (the son of wealthy parents) runs away from school to his home in New York. Wandering the city alone, he is disillusioned by the superficiality of it and its citizens. However, it is through witnessing his young sister Phoebe going round and round on a merry- go-round after a trip to the zoo that he recieves any sort of answer or joy, not from the advices of the school teachers, girl friend and other acquaintances he meets along the way. CHARACTERISTICS OF ZEN `Zen has always specialized in nonsense as a means of stimulating the mind to go forward to that which is beyond sense.' - ALDOUS HUXLEY `The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything super- natural or added.' - PROFESSOR DAISETZ SUZUKI SRI RAMAKRISHNA : A Hindu mystic whose teachings of a `Universal Religion were popularised by a disciple, Swami Vivekanda. His writings `THE GOSPELS OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA' were published by Salinger's publisher Hamish Hamilton at his suggestion. DEFINITION OF THE ZEN KOAN: `Those surrealistic, un- answerable conundrums designed to stir up and re- adjust one's view of things' : JAMES LUNDQUIST ) Camille verona_beach@geocities.com @ THE ARTS HOLE www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442