Book O’ Zork



Book O’ Zork

Alexis Cavic

21A.213

Elements of Zorkicism

I. Zork

“gods”

The Purpose of Life

II. Code of Zorkicism

Practical Implications of the Code of Zorkicism

for the 21st Century

III. Creation

IV. Leaders of Zorkicism

Life After Death

Seeds, Flowers, Worms, Cows and People: The

Cycle of Immortality

V. Rituals

Holidays

Parable of Monita

VI. Parable of Zarfus and Zushna

Parable of David

VII. Parable of the Good Benito

Parable of Annie

Closing

I. Zork

All the world and all the universe is full of zork. To deny one’s zork is to deny one’s self. Just as amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, zork is the building block of the spirit. Zork both unifies and individualizes. It gives people a common thread with mountains, rivers, animals, plants, wind, the earth, the stars, far away galaxies and of course with each other. Yet everyone’s zork is unique. Every newborn, every stream, every hill and wisp of wind begins with a quanta of inherent zork which then grows and changes based on the individual’s experiences, actions, thoughts and feelings. Even identical twins have different zork. No two rivers are the same because their zork flows differently into their spirits. Like streamlines in turbulent flow, zork is always changing, moving in a different direction, speeding up, slowing down, on the verge of something new everyday. A healthy strong zork pattern builds a healthy spirit which in turn leads to a healthy and happy person. Zork can be obtained and shaped in two ways. First, one can build one’s own zork by following the Code of Zork, by working with the universe rather than against it. When zork is shaped in this way, it forms a solid, stable spirit. Thus, this method benefits the person by building a strong spirit, and those around that person benefit from the works done in the spirit of the Code of Zork. Alternatively, zork can be stolen from others by actions that benefit one person, but have a negative impact on others. Unfortunately, this zork is fleeting. It is impossible to incorporate someone else’s zork into one’s own spirit for any substantial length of time. Thus, as a person steals zork, he or she must continue to steal more zork to constantly replace the zork lost through negative actions. This method of zork generation in fact hurts everyone and accordingly should be avoided. In fact this is not actually zork generation, merely zork transfer. Zork should not be thought of as a physical object that is created and destroyed in the sense that a car is built and then crashed. But rather it is a spiritual element and thus does not follow the current theories of physics and entropy.

“gods”

Zorkicism itself neither proclaims nor denies the existence of “gods” in the

supernatural sense. People may choose to combine Zorkicism with other religions if the combination integrates their mind and spirit in a way beneficial to that individual. Zorkicism only developed after a species called Zabarunes was discovered by humans. These beings precede humans in history and thus have more knowledge which makes them powerful but clearly not omnipotent beings. Zabarunes sometimes communicate to people through dreams and silent mind transfer. They have learned and designed technology far exceeding current human capabilities. For these reasons, a person unfamiliar with Zorkicism may mistake a Zabarune for a god. In the same way as another person can influence another well or badly, the Zabarunes can be either helpful or harmful. Each person with whom they communicate must try to decide if what the Zabarune says is true, based on the person’s own current knowledge, understanding and zork. Zabarunes do not have the answers to all the questions but perhaps some of them.

The Purpose of Life

In specific each life is one’s own. No one shall guide you where you do not

want to travel. In general there is no actual point to life whatsoever. But of course there is a catch. The person who lives life meaninglessly will lack joy and fulfillment. Instead imagine your life as a chance to give, receive and foster the growth of zork! This will bring peace, happiness and fulfillment to you and those around you. The more people who live this way, the greater the benefits to each individual. Following the Zorkist religion will allow you and your children and those you love to live well. If the code of Zorkicism is not adopted by the human race, the earth will be destroyed and your progeny will perish. Make the purpose of your life to unite with all people, animals, plants and the Zabarunes to keep earth and our universe growing.

Code of Zorkicism

First and foremost, treat everyone and everything as if it were yourself.

Give all the same care and thought you would give to yourself. Only in this way will you do the least harm and the greatest good. In this way you will honor and respect all life forms including plants, people, animals, insects, mountains, rivers, air, wind, fire, earth, sun, moons and far away planets and their inhabitants.

Remember that you are free as is everyone else but only to the extent that you do not infringe on the freedom of others.

Violence is the quickest destroyer of zork and thus should be avoided at all costs. Even if you are attacked with threats or physical force, do not counter react with violence. Doing so will only threaten the vibrancy of your own zork more. Zork is a reflection of you and your actions as much as a reflection of the actions conveyed onto you by others.

Live simply and consume only that which you need to survive and do so in the most efficient manner.

Nurture the three segments: mind, body and spirit. Your body and health are a gift that does not last forever.

Form strong relationships with nature spirits and with the spirits of the people around you. Visit other parts of the world and form relationships with the spirits you discover there.

Balance work with play, tears with laughter, freedom with obligation and sorry with joy. Welcome others into your life but be sure to keep safe and sacred space for yourself.

Work hard for what you want but always reexamine your goals to be sure they are consistent with building the spirit through zork.

Always criticize less than you think is deserved, and compliment more than might be deserved.

Do not commit yourself to people, ideas or relationships permanently but continue to reevaluate your position throughout your life. Do not take others for granted. Do not assume you are on a good path. Always consider people and where your are verses where you wish to be. Do not ever forget that no individual is any more or less important than another.

Practical Implications of the Code of Zork for the 21st Century

At the time of the writing of this the following were some of the practical ways of implementing the Code of Zork. There are an infinite number of ways and actions that are in the spirit of the Code of Zorkicism. Those listed here are just a few guidelines. You will have to work hard to follow in the spirit of the Code and integrate it into your life. It will not always be clear how to follow it, but do your best and with time you will learn. If for some reason, one of the following is not in the tradition of the Code because of a special circumstance or a change in the way of the world, then by all means follow your sense of the code above this list.

❖ Do not abuse any one resource so as that it dwindles. This includes water, land, oil, fossil fuels, oceans, specific animals or plants. Everything should be used in sparingly and preserved.

❖ Do not build pollution creating devices.

❖ Do not use pollution creating devices.

❖ Use resources efficiently and healthily. This means refraining from eating meat or animal products which is terribly inefficient and frequently unhealthy. Partake only of plants and their derivatives. This will use the least resources (including water and energy units) to sustain the human population.

❖ Exercise regularly.

❖ Love all in a general way.

❖ Love in a special way only one at a time.

❖ Do not use, own, build or invent devices for the purposes of violence.

❖ Hold the covenants you make.

❖ Pay others fairly for their services and offer yours at a fair price.

❖ Accumulate as few possessions as possible since possessions cause greed, avarice, miserliness, and hold a person back from traveling and taking on new adventures.

❖ Build a house the size of your family, not too big and not too small.

❖ Reward all skills deservingly such that farmers make as much money as computer programmers.

❖ Spend time getting to know your children and your neighbors.

❖ If your mind and education are that of science try to find non-polluting renewable energy resources.

Life will present you with many questions regarding the Code of Zorkicism and the following methods of implementation. Frequently you will be unsure of how to best implement it, but with work and time it will make increasing sense as you test the results of your actions. Consult those around you, your friends, family, even your enemies. Be influenced by them if it suits you. Just be sure you are changing for good reasons.

Creation

Many people may proclaim to know how the universe came to be. They

speculate about a divine entity controlling and creating the earth or suggest that an amino acid “soup” began the first organisms. But from where did that divine entity spring? How did those first amino acids come to be? Indeed those that try to blindly answer these questions are foolish. Not even the Zabarunes have discovered the truth of the beginning of time. They are far away from the ability to understand the miracle of life. Thus, people have even further to advance before they will make that discovery. If people do not facilitate their own destruction too quickly by destroying their own zork and that of the nature surrounding them, then people will one day discover the origins of all that is zorkful.

Leaders of Zorkicism

Zorkicism encourages no real hierarchy of priestly people. However, some people may choose to become spiritual counselors by studying Zorkicism and ways to improve the zork in the universe. Such people may be helpful to others when making decisions about how to follow the Code. Such counselors may also choose to try to convince other people and the government to favor the practical outcomes of the code of zork. But such people have no more power than the average person.

Life After Death

People are immortal in three ways. First, they are immortal in a physical sense. Plants and animals feed off of each other. Thus, essentially you are built of what you eat. Second, your spirit and your mind affect those whom you know and with whom you interact. Those people in turn affect others and soon you have had an effect, be it small, on an infinite number of people. Third, your spirit lives on in the spirit of your progeny. If you have worked hard to nurture your zork so that it is strong and pure and good intending then your progeny will start with that much of a stronger spirit. They will be capable of reaching happiness and fulfillment easier and more quickly than the progeny of an evil person who died zorkless. In this way you live on forever. That is not to say that you determine the fate of your progeny because you do not. They must choose how to live their own lives and can in turn build or destroy the zork you have given them, but it is much easier to start well and continue than start badly and do well.

Seeds, Flowers, Worms, Cows and People: The Cycle of Immortality.

A small white seed gleamed in the sunshine, slowly buried by Nature’s flunkies – the wind and rain. Yet it did not grow. A boy dragging a shovel in one hand and a puppy cuddled to his chest by his other hand slowly enters the valley. He lays his dog to rest in the cool, clean soil, and then wanders back. Months pass…the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. The seed finally begins to grow a stem and emerges from the darkness to discover the world above. Grass also grows where that boy buried his best friend. A single leaf develops on that stem, then another and another. The stem continues to reach for the sky. A first bud appears, soon to bloom into a brilliant flower – soft and delicate yet strong and patient..

…All those months waiting just for a short spotlight in the sun, just to be trampled by a cow that wandered by, munching happily on the newly grown grass and oblivious to the life flourishing beneath him. The stem and flower lay in the hot sun, torn from their lifeline, their roots. Months pass…the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. Meanwhile, the cow, slaughtered by a guy in overalls and an apron, is on somebody’s plate just about now (although not mine I guarantee).

Grass nourished by the decomposing flower still grows where that same flower once stood tall. That somebody’s heart, however, rejected the cholesterol from a lifetime of eating cows, and that somebody is now dead and buried. Months pass…the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out.

A small white seed gleamed in the sunshine, slowly buried by Nature’s flunkies…life, death, cycle of immortality. Just because something dies does not mean it does not live forever. One life for another – cycle of immortality.

Rituals

To encourage the growth of your zork, you must howl. You must do this whenever your spirit moves you to do so. Do not hold it back. You will know because you will feel it swell up in your throat coming straight from your stomach. Do not resist! Just howl with all your breath – low and sad or high and happy, whatever is right, but always zorkfully. This will help rejuvenate your soul and relieve you of your tensions and exploding happiness. Howling with others is at least twice as helpful, and a community howl is even more zorkful. Zork is fostered best when surrounded by people all celebrating each other.

Approximately once per week have dinner with a friend and discuss how Zorkicism is or is not fitting into each other’s lives. This discussion will help both of you to find the path to a strong soul.

During the first snowfall of the winter, jump naked or moderately clothed (whichever you prefer based on your company) into the snow, roll around and revel in the gift of the snow (NB: only do this if you are otherwise healthy). This will help you appreciate nature and not take life too seriously.

When the first warm summer rain comes, run through it soaking up its joy and zork. Remember that the elements are your comrades, not your enemies.

Once per day lay down for a short nap or silent time for yourself. Do not let the day’s events overcome you. This will help your physical and mental health.

Once per year spend three days entirely alone and fasting but being sure to drink plenty of water. Reflect on your life and on your loved ones and friends. Think of those far away from you, not just those that are close. Cleanse yourself of others’ influence just for a short time to remember yourself and to be sure of your path.

Holidays

Every year these traditions should be repeated to help develop your own zork and the zork of your community. The most important celebrations are the Family and Friends Festival and the Change of Season Celebrations. The Family and Friends Festival is a week long event that involves laughing, eating and most importantly catching up with old friends and relatives. This is a time for families and communities to come together to re-align themselves by engaging in conversation, debates, cooking, playing games and planning for the future. In celebration of all things in nature that are not human, one must celebrate the first day of each of the seasons, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. These should have regional festivities that vary from community to community but all have the unifying theme of outdoor appreciation and activity.

Also, one day per year shall be celebrated for each of the following:

Children’s Day: On this day the virtues and discoveries of children should be noticed, celebrated and remembered. This is their special day to realize they are in a unique position to build a life for themselves without too many choices already made. Play parties should be held for children at neighborhood playgrounds and parks.

Day of Thanks And Forgiveness: On this day we should all remember those who have helped us and express our appreciation to them. Furthermore, we should seek out those who need our forgiveness and grant it.

Day of the Dead: Celebrate the lives of those who came and went before you. Do this by writing a letter to a specific person or group of people who preceded you. You might also plant flowers at a cemetery or tell the life story of a deceased person to a younger person.

Day of Life: Celebrate the opportunities and choices you have in your life before you. Write a letter to yourself pointing out the good parts of your life and what choices you can make to improve the other parts of your life and the lives of those around you.

II. Parable of Monita

Once a long time ago, a girl named Monita lived. She was born with a

zorkful spirit. She ran like a crazy child because she always followed the will of her spirit. Doing so built her a strong zork for someone of such a young age. She howled and smiled and questioned everything in a curious manner.

Unfortunately, gradually the troubles of the world reached Monita. Her mother thought her zorkful ways were unbecoming of a young lady and pleaded and begged Monita to stop running and playing and exploring the earthiness of the world. Her father was an alcoholic who hit Monita, yelling at her and intimidating her as best he could. As Monita grew she became quiet and shy as her zork dwindled. At school she avoided attention by doing her studies completely and well. In time she learned to hate herself. She began to believe she was not worthy of the oxygen she breathed. Her zork was nearly smothered.

Fortunately, Monita began with a strong will and a strong spirit so she never lost the hope of escaping her hatred of herself. Her studies and her life took Monita far away from her parents but not from herself. She was trapped with herself. She knew she needed to do something different because she was scared, lonely and sad, but she had no idea how to regain her joyful zork. She did not want to stand still because she was standing on the top of a sharp ridge with a long drop on either side. A push inside her stomach commanded her to find a way off that ridge. She could not sleep because her mind was always going, always trying to understand what she needed to do. Monita traveled feeling that if only she moved enough she would escape the ridge and her hatred of herself.

She began to recover her zork with the help of trees and mountains and lakes. She would wonder through these wild places and they would all reach out to her offering zork and more zork, so much that she did not know what to do with it all. She was very confused. But for once she was finding places and things that were helping her to build back her lost zork. She sought out other people who also seemed to be lacking zork and traded secrets with them. She came to love the trees, the mountains, the earth, the wind and the sky. With her wanderings, Monita realized she was free. With that freedom and her love for nature, her zork grew powerful. She had room to love other people and freely gave as much zork as she could to those she loved. The more zork she gave, the more hers grew until one day she realized she loved even herself, the girl who did not deserve oxygen, and she howled and howled. Loud and strong and free, she howled with zork exuding from her stomach.

Monita’s path, like most people’s, was never clear or inviting. It was hard, scary work for her. She spent years curving and swerving sometimes seeming to be traveling on an ever widening ridge and sometimes returning to the sharpness of her previous path with death on one side and sadness on the other. But with time, the average width got thicker and thicker. She came to die fulfilled with a strong zork at an old age.

Parable of Zarfus and Zushna

Long before people inhabited the earth, the Zabarunes were living in far

away galaxies. Two brothers, Zarfus and Zushna, helped the Zabarunes to discover what they now know about the meaning of life.

From the time they were young, Zarfus and Zushna seemed to do things

differently. Although raised together and with the same loving parents, they developed very different attitudes about the purpose of life. Zarfus became a teacher. He worked with young Zabarunes, trying to teach them and learn from them simultaneously. He listened to anyone who wished to speak. He painted pictures, read stories and flew through the universe with his strong Zabarune wings. He loved to watch little ones grow and especially enjoyed teaching them to fly. He was light hearted, quick to compliment and slow to scold those around him. He lived simply with no extra luxuries. Zarfus, his children and his wife built a strong loving family. He was constantly reevaluating their lives and his life, trying to stay on a good path. Zushna on the other hand lived alone as a landlord and factory owner. He charged unreasonable rent to his tenants for the sake of making more money. He made his lonely house bigger and bigger. He bought as many items as he made and sold in the factory. Each new thing required another thing to compliment it. Soon he had a gigantic house full of things but still was not happy. He did not believe there was a purpose for him in life.

When Zarfus and Zushna were middle aged, a war broke out between the Zabarunes and the Moonjas, another species in an adjacent star system. Zarfus refused to fight in the war. He did not like the idea of violence. He took his family and hid from the fighting. Zushna thought that the war would give his life purpose and meaning. He thought it would bring him honor so he went to fight. When he returned he was old and even more bitter than he had been. Meanwhile his brother Zarfus had grown in his happiness. He lived in a small community that seemed to feed off of each other’s well being. Zushna died a spiritless death, having only harmed the lives of those around him. Zarfus on the other hand died with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his stomach because he had improved the lives of those around him and in turn they had improved his life.

Parable of David

Once a young man named David lived. He carried in his mind and soul the weight of all the world’s problems. For every murder, for every starving child, for every war, for every drop of pollution, David punished himself because he could not prevent these atrocities. He felt powerless over the evil in the world. And so his zork was weakened and weakened with everyday of his life until he died by his own hand. And yet, he did not die because David, like each of us, is immortal. That is, his body died, but left his spirit alive within those who loved David. They too carried his message. And now he is written about here for all to know and gain what wisdom they can from his story.

Parable of the Good Benito

Benito’s parents were zorkful people. They worked hard and had a loving way. With respect for their earth and fellow inhabitants they lived simply and built strong spirits for themselves. They gave birth to a fine healthy little boy whom they named Benito. Because of their zorkfulness, he too began with a strong spirit and progressed rapidly as a child, learning and building a stronger spirit everyday. As an adult he has modeled his parents and immortalized them both by carrying their zork from the beginning of his life and in continuing in their spirit.

Parable of Annie

One spiritual counselor was a woman named Annie. She had no concrete authority, yet people sought her help because she listened to anyone needing a friendly ear. She talked and gave thoughts and advice. All the while she pondered her own life and how to bring peace to herself. Yet she did these acts in parallel, not in series. She did not wait to find her own way before helping others to find theirs. Instead, she made room for many in her heart and mind. And in that she found her zork.

Closing

Indeed the eternal balance of life and death requires that every organism must at some point physically die, but this death is really our greatest motivation to live fully taking advantage of the precious little time we have on Earth. One will be dead for the rest of time (stop for a minute and consider the meaning of these words – “rest of time”), but alive for only a few short years. All people must determine their priorities and accomplish their goals before they find themselves trapped in a box with worms as their only roommates. Zorkicism is merely a way to help all the universe live in peace with all its different parts.

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