The Ice Cream Koan: Solved

A new koan:

If you have some ice cream, I will give it to you.

If you have no ice cream, I will take it away from you.

It is an ice cream koan.

I am pleased to report that, in typical Zen manner, the solution came to me when I was not looking for it. And the solution is typically Zen, being the same for both parts:

I will give you ice cream.

For the former, I am giving you the ice cream which is already yours.

For the latter, what you actually have is no-ice-cream, that is, an absence of ice cream. By giving you ice cream, I am taking away your no-ice-cream, removing your absence of ice cream.

I have solved the ice cream koan.

Posted on May 10, 2008 at 1:10:52 AM EDT.