Book O’ Zork
Alexis Cavic
21A.213
Elements of Zorkicism
I. Zork
II. “gods”
III. The Purpose of Life
IV. Code of Zorkicism
V. Practical Implications of the Code of Zorkicism
for the 21st Century
VI. Creation
VII. Leaders of Zorkicism
VIII. Life After Death
IX. Seeds, Flowers, Worms, Cows and People: The
Cycle of Immortality
X. Rituals
XI. Holidays
XII. Parable of Monita
XIII. Parable of Zarfus and Zushna
XIV. Parable of David
XV. Parable of the Good Benito
XVI. Parable of Annie
XVII. 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.
II. “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.
III. 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.
IV. 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.
V. 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.
v 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.
v Do not build pollution creating devices.
v Do not use pollution creating devices.
v 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.
v Exercise regularly.
v Love all in a general way.
v Love in a special way only one at a time.
v Do not use, own, build or invent devices for the purposes of violence.
v Hold the covenants you make.
v Pay others fairly for their services and offer yours at a fair price.
v Accumulate as few possessions as possible since possessions cause greed, avarice, miserliness, and hold a person back from traveling and taking on new adventures.
v Build a house the size of your family, not too big and not too small.
v Reward all skills deservingly such that farmers make as much money as computer programmers.
v Spend time getting to know your children and your neighbors.
v 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.
VI. 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.
VII. 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.
VIII. 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.
IX. 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.