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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pyske" data-source="post: 386588" data-attributes="member: 3567">Duong Le Li searched for many years to find enlightenment.  He walked to the river, where he meditated for many days, taking nothing but water, but when he walked away, he left it behind him.  He studied many scrolls, but his learning gave him nothing.  He sat among the aescetics, and moved not, determined to touch no stone, breathe no air.  But the sun still warmed him each day, and when he walked away, all was for nothing.  He sought out sages and wise men, but no thoughts they gave him could help.  He surrendered, and again discarded these simple teachings, and with them enlightenment.  After meditating on the matter, he decided that the only way to answer his riddle was to ask the Great Spirit Tree, a large banyan known for its infinite wisdom in all things. So Duong journeyed to the Spirit World and posed the riddle to the tree.  "Do you know the meaning of my riddle?" asked the monk."Yes," replied the tree, "I know the answer.""Please tell me!" responded Duong. "I have sought this answer for many years, and I will not achieve Enlightenment without it!"In response, the Great Tree grew a magificent arm of silver and said "Take this branch. The answer lies within, and Enlightenment awaits he who understands its nature."Duong happily took the branch, feeling very satisfied. He had only to study a stick to find the truth! He thanked the Greet Tree and returned to his home to examine it. However, he soon came to realize that he understood very little indeed, and the meaning within the branch eluded him for the rest of his days. His student took it upon his death, and that student also failed to discern the Truth within. And so it went as the years marched on, and the branch passed from monk to sage to king, and none who possessed it understood the Answer.   All who have looked have gained nothing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This koan has several traps.  First, if played correctly, those who have had the staff will likely have pondered for years what exactly Duong Le Li's riddle was, sure that if they knew the riddle, they be able to find the reason that the staff is the answer.Second, even for those who realize that Duong's riddle is the story itself, there is the constant reference to "nothing", which Buddhist inclined players may may assumptions about.  In this riddle, nothing is taken in its literal meaning.Third, players may read too much into the fact that he gave up each time and left enlightenment behind when he did so.Fourth, the branch itself is a trap.  This trap is for those who would study the branch instead of the story.  This is what Duong Le Li failed to understand, and what has colored the thoughts of all the sages since.You see, the answer is not in the staff, but the giving.  The solution to the koan is the giving of oneself.When the PCs are investigating the legends of Duong Le Li, you should play up the part of Duong as a man obsessed, who did nothing but study and attempt to reach enlightenment.  Don't specifically mention that he did nothing to repay them, but mention things like staying for a month and then simply walking away.Mechanically, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear."  Soon after you are satisfied that they are beginning to truly understand the riddle, have them come upon the banyan, withered by the magic pulled from it by the branch.  In order to reach enlighenment, the PC must not only return the branch, but they must give something of themself in return (say, permanent constitution by bleeding themself to feed the tree?). . . . . . . . -- Eric</blockquote>

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