The Sound of One Hand Clapping

[Comic]

Zen comes to Hero.

How would you buy the sound of one hand clapping?

Images, clearly, but what modifiers, and how much would it cost?

[The Monster]

Mental Illusions

it's Zen, after all - no one but the "enlightened" would be able to hear it

[Kdansky]

Images, invisible?

[AmadanNaBriona]

Images, invisible?

"A zen answer, and perfect for a holy man. Have you been such long?" -Pen "The Man Who Never Missed" S. Perry

[ghost-angel]

Four.

[Sean Waters]

One hand clapping?

Open Hand Defensive Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, STR Strike

What?

[Maccabe]

Hand to Hand Attack (no range) Transdimensional (one dimension)

:celebrate The answer to the Zen riddle of;"What is the sound of one hand clapping" is to strike one's hand against that of the Buddha's hand.

[BobGreenwade]

I know of someone (secondhand) who can actually do this. It requires a combination of Sleight of Hand and Contortionist.

(This is, of course, a topic worth visiting every now and zen....)

[L. Marcus]

I can do it, and I don't need no Buddha.

[ghost-angel]

:celebrate The answer to the Zen riddle of;"What is the sound of one hand clapping" is to strike one's hand against that of the Buddha's hand.

Trite. Western. Wrong.

There is no answer to the riddle. At least, none that is expressed in such crude logic as language. And that answer shows a fundamental lack of understanding of Buddha.

[Zeropoint]

I thought the sound of one hand clapping was a butterfly.

[CrosshairCollie]

I say a Contortionist roll. I have a friend who can clap one-handed easily.

[CrosshairCollie]

I know of someone (secondhand) who can actually do this. It requires a combination of Sleight of Hand and Contortionist.

(This is, of course, a topic worth visiting every now and zen....)


Yes, but that was zen and this is tao.

[ghost-angel]

koan, you can't be serious.

[CrosshairCollie]

koan, you can't be serious.

Who, me? Yes, yes I am. He just ... limbers up his left hand (he's left handed) and can shake his hand back and forth, slapping the upper half of the palm and the fingers against the lower part. If I had any way to record it, I'd be able to show you.

[Gadodel]

I thought the sound of one hand clapping was a butterfly.
When I do it, it sounds like a hummingbird.

[ghost-angel]

Who, me? Yes, yes I am. He just ... limbers up his left hand (he's left handed) and can shake his hand back and forth, slapping the upper half of the palm and the fingers against the lower part. If I had any way to record it, I'd be able to show you.

no . . . it was a play on words.

"go on" vs "koan" - same pronunciation, well one is a G and the other a K.

[L. Marcus]

G-A has sophisticated humor.

Got in in one. :D

[lemming]

Who, me? Yes, yes I am. He just ... limbers up his left hand (he's left handed) and can shake his hand back and forth, slapping the upper half of the palm and the fingers against the lower part. If I had any way to record it, I'd be able to show you.

Hmm. I'm not very limber, but maybe it's because I have huge hands. But then it would probably be disqualified by the koan police.

For a game answer:
Mental Entangle based on the the target trying to figure the answer. Obviously it's working on us.

[Cancer]

A case could be made for an INT Drain, too.

[lemming]

A case could be made for an INT Drain, too.

Not a bad idea. I'm having versionitis. Do the neg char rules still exist? Maybe once they make an int roll after the drain, the effects wear off?

[CrosshairCollie]

no . . . it was a play on words.

"go on" vs "koan" - same pronunciation, well one is a G and the other a K.

I ... don't get it.

[Zeropoint]

Hmm . . . I've always pronounced "koan" to be a homophone of "cone".

[CrosshairCollie]

Hmm . . . I've always pronounced "koan" to be a homophone of "cone".

What's 'koan'? Or is it something dirty that can't be explained here?

[ghost-angel]

koan (a Japanese word pronounced "Ko - On") is a Buddhist statement, question or story that (usually) has no logical answer or conclusion; one of the most famous (to Western culture) is the title of this thread. They're supposed to be meditated on to help achieve enlightenment.

They are supposed to be answered, but this is no "right" answer. It would take a more complete explanation of the nature of Buddhism to really get into the hows and whys of a Koan answer.

[Comic]

So are you suggesting a VPP "Koan Pool" with "Buddhism" as the special effect?

What costs are you assigning, and can you provide some example powers?

[CrosshairCollie]

koan (a Japanese word pronounced "Ko - On") is a Buddhist statement, question or story that (usually) has no logical answer or conclusion; one of the most famous (to Western culture) is the title of this thread. They're supposed to be meditated on to help achieve enlightenment.

They are supposed to be answered, but this is no "right" answer. It would take a more complete explanation of the nature of Buddhism to really get into the hows and whys of a Koan answer.

The pun is explained, I'm happy with that. :)

[SteveZilla]

Yes, but that was zen and this is tao.


Zen + Tao = Zao! ;)






(Ten was already taken. :()

[Mister E]

I saw Bart on the Simpsons clap one of his hands, once, by slapping his fingers to his palm.

A common sound heard in Zen monasteries: the desperate plea of, "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uu!"

("Un-ask the question!" is the translation I'm familiar with.)

[AmadanNaBriona]

whenever someone actually asks me the question "What is the sound of one hand clapping" my immediate reflex is to pimp slap them.

I don't often indulge this urge, or do so MOST gently
(well...usually :sneaky: )


Auto resetting Naked Trigger for an open hand Martial Strike "When someone asks a stupid question", p'rhaps?

Edit: Or maybe a Martial Flash? "Blinded by the sudden dawning Truth"