Letter 4.22

Dear Rev. Sir,

I must apologize for having left you so suddenly and without farewells. This, I think, was a mistake. I hope it was not a serious one. or course, the light in that tunnel was very poor, but I don't want to blame that, I want to tell you what happened later, and how I came to be here.

I fell, I think, for a long time, although I can't be sure about this. In fact sometimes, I suspect that I'm still falling: even though I stand on solid ground unfortunately my two feet are unable to cover it all. But what I do remember is finding myself wedged -- most uncomfortable, although possibly better than falling -- between two rocks, while my feet dangled free. It was very dark, I long since dropped the Crapper (Krakir's -- giving off a faint glow. -- Hūm). Indeed, I was so frightened of my position that I had also dropped a crap. So you see, I am your true disciple.

Then something a little bit out of the ordinary happened: a rabbit bounded past me and into a nearby hole. I was so excited to see a rabbit that without thinking about it I followed him, and found myself in another tunnel. I think this happened just in time, for behind me I could hear strange hissing sounds. I ran as fast as I could. Somehow I could see, as if all the air was aglow, as if the Crapper had taken over. I don't know how long I ran -- a long time, I think. I felt energized with every breath I took. Then I heard a deep deep rumble behind me and a roar like the end of the world, and I ran and ran, but could not find the rabbit anywhere.

What I finally found was a warren, out of which many tunnels emerged, and in the centre of which was a pile of what appeared to be stringy discs. I examined one, curiouser than ever, It smelled good, so I nibbled at it. It tasted good, so I ate it. I ate many of them. Then, as I picked up the bottom disc I saw one piece of stringy stuff ran out of it and down one of the tunnels. So I followed it. This tunnel was dark, but the string went on and on, until finally I came to the end of the tunnel, and crawled up a very ordinary rabbit hole and found myself in this land.

I know you won't believe me, but people here speak very peculiar English indeed. Many speak no English at all. Isn't that amazing? But they are very nice people who treat me well, and they grow rice and tobacco (although in truth I myself have certainly lost all interest in smoking -- perhaps you can understand why) and live on the side (near the top) of a big long hill with a view of many ranges of hills, and the sun rises every morning and sets every evening, which is very commendable, I think, and the people laugh and smile when they see me, I don't know why, so I try to preach to them your doctrine ('It all comes out in the end'), which they like very much to hear, and they show me great respect because of this and give me many stringy discs to eat, so I think I'll stay here for a while and see what happens, or doesn't.

Your devoted disciple,

Samsara[1]

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[1] In Worthy Bones Samsara was Sancho Panza to Mohel's Don Quixote. Samsāra in Pali means 'running-on', or becoming (from existence to existence). Nibbāna ends it. -- Hūm.