THREE FRIENDS

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There were three friends

Discussing life.

One said:

"Can men live together

And know nothing of it?

Work together

And produce nothing?

Can they fly around in space

And forget to exist

World without end?"

The three friends looked at each other

And burst out laughing.

They had no explanation.

Thus they were better friends than before.

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Then one friend died.

Confucius

Sent a disciple to help the other two

Chant his obsequies.

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The disciple found that one friend

Had composed a song.

While the other played a lute,

They sang:

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"Hey, Sung Hu!

Where'd you go?

Hey, Sung Hu!

Where'd you go?

You have gone

Where you really were.

And we are here -

Damn it! We are here!"

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Then the disciple of Confucius

burst in on them and exclaimed:

"May I inquire where you found this

in the rubrics for obsequies,

this frivolous carolling in the

presence of the departed?"

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The two friends looked at

each other and laughed:

"Poor fellow," they said,

"he doesn't know the new liturgy!"

*

From THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU

by Thomas Merton

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