What is a Quafaie?


Quafaie (pronounced: kwa FAY) are fantasy creatures that exist in the fantasy writing of Hugh Kemeny, and are created by him. They are primarily in Hugh Kemeny’s Black Phoenix short stories...

To learn more, read this post: What is a Quafaie?

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (30 November 2011):

"He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God."
- Vivekananda


Zen from Friday 19 August 2011:

"When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength."
- Dalai Lama


Zen from Friday 7 October 2011:

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."
- Gandhi


Zen from Friday 4 November 2011:

"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
- Marcel Proust

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (29 November 2011):

"Develop a mind that is vast like water, where experiences both pleasant and unpleasant can appear and disappear without conflict, struggle, or harm. Rest in a mind like vast water."
- Buddha


Zen from Thursday 18 August 2011:

"The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there."
- Yasutani Roshi


Zen from Thursday 6 October 2011:

"The art of living ... is neither careless drifting in the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive."
- Alan Watts


Zen from Thursday 3 November 2011:

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances."
- Martha Washington

Monday, November 28, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (28 November 2011):

"When we act out our negativity, the effect is like carving it into stone. The imprint remains for a long, long time."
- Genpo Merzel


Zen from Wednesday 17 August 2011:

"Most people think that we live in the actual world while we are alive, and that after we take the last breath we somehow wander into a vague realm of the spirit. It is a great mistake to see two separate realms."
- Soen Nakagawa


Zen from Wednesday 5 October 2011:

"If you want to see the heroic, look at those who can love in return for hatred. If you want to see the brave, look for those who can forgive."
- Bhagavad Gita


Zen from Wednesday 2 November 2011:

"The outward freedom that we shall attain will only be in exact proportion to the inward freedom to which we may have grown at a given moment. And if this is a correct view of freedom, our chief energy must be concentrated on achieving reform from within."
- Gandhi

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (27 November 2011):

"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity, and to be vibrantly alive in repose."
- Indira Gandhi


Zen from Tuesday 16 August 2011:

"I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers."
- Kahlil Gibran


Zen from Tuesday 4 October 2011:

"We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes, our ravages. Our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to transform them in ourselves and others."
- Albert Camus


Zen from Tuesday 1 November 2011:

"There are three marks of a superior man: being virtuous, he is free from anxiety; being wise, he is free from perplexity; being brave, he is free from fear."
- Confucius

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (26 November 2011):

"You must learn to be still in the midst of activity, and to be vibrantly alive in repose."
- Indira Gandhi


Zen from Monday 15 August 2011:

"Manifest plainness,
embrace simplicity,
reduce selfishness,
have few desires."

- Lao-tzu


Zen from Monday 3 October 2011:

"The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold."
- Aristotle


Zen from Monday 31 October 2011:

"The lesson that life reappears and constantly enforces is 'Look under foot.' You are always nearer to the divine and the true sources of your power than you think."
- John Burroughs

Friday, November 25, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (25 November 2011):

"WE are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.


Zen from Sat/Sun 13/14 August 2011:

"The mind is like a mirror through which you can see infinity; but if you put the blackness of hatred over it, you will see nothing."
- Yogi Bhajan


Zen from Sat/Sun 1/2 October 2011:

"There are those who discover they can leave behind destructive reactions and become patient as the earth, unmoved by fires of anger or fear, unshaken as a pillar, unperturbed as a clear and quiet pool."
- The Dhammapada


Zen from Sat/Sun 29/30 October 2011:

"There is only one world, the world pressing against you this minute."
- Storm Jameson

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (24 November 2011):

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
- Albert Einstein


Zen from Friday 12 August 2011:

"The cloud is free, only to go with the wind.
The rain is free only in falling."

- Wendell Berry


Zen from Friday 30 September 2011:

"If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart. If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow."
- The Dhammapada


Zen from Friday 28 October 2011:

"To see clearly is poetry, philosophy, and religion, all in one."
- John Ruskin

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (23 November 2011):

"When you are guided by compassion and lovingkindness, you are able to look deeply into the heart of reality and see the truth."
-Thich Nhat Hanh


Zen from Thursday 11 August 2011:

"The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world."
- John Burroughs


Zen from Thursday 29 September 2011:

"The deepest waters make the least noise."
- Guatemalan proverb


Zen from Thursday 27 October 2011:

"You hold in your hand an invitation: To remember the transforming power of forgiveness and lovingkindness. To remember that no matter where you are and what you face, within your heart peace is possible."
- Jack Kornfield

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (22 November 2011):

"The only wisdom we can hope to acquire
Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless."

- T.S. Eliot


Zen from Wednesday 10 August 2011:

"The world is not divine sport; it is divine destiny. There is divine meaning in the life of the world; of man, of human persons, of you and me."
- Martin Buber


Zen from Wednesday 28 September 2011:

"Misfortune and experience are lost upon mankind when they produce neither reflection nor reformation."
- Thomas Paine


Zen from Wednesday 26 October 2011:

"True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us."
- Socrates

Monday, November 21, 2011

What is a Quafaie?

Quafaie are fantasy creatures that exist in the fantasywriting of Hugh Kemeny, and are created by him. They are primarily in HughKemeny’s Black Phoenix short stories (at time of posting this, none have beenpublished). 

Quafaie are similar to some definition of elves, however inHugh Kemeny’s work they bear no relationship to Elves. Before describing theQuafaie, first a brief definition of Elves and Dwarfs in Hugh Kemeny’s BlackPhoenix world:

Elves are based on the typical fantasy Elf that J.R.R.Tolkien popularized in his Middle Earth (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, etc).They stand about the same height of humans, being no less than 1.67 m (5.5 ft)tall. They are mostly forest folk and great archers.  (More on the Elves in the Black Phoenix worldlater.)

Dwarfs are also based on the typical fantasy Dwarf, alsopopularized by J.R.R. Tolkien. As adults they reach an average height of 1.25 m(4 ft). They generally all have long beards (including the female dwarfs), liveand work in mines and underground, and have a deep sense of metallurgy – includingrelated magic. 

Quafaie are slightly smaller than Dwarfs. Quafaie grow to between1 m and 1.25 m (average height of Dwarfs), though with any peoples, there areexceptions. Unlike Dwarfs they have no facial or body hair (similar to somedefinitions of elves). The hair they have on their head is almost moss like,with colour ranging in the earth tones (primarily brown, but with hints ofgreen). 

Unlike Dwarfs who live underground, Quafaie live aboveground. They are close to nature and the earth, understanding the soil, water,and to some extent animals. Like both Elves and Dwarfs they have some innatemagic. They can sense when curses or blessings have been placed on the land,find water and know the best places to plant for fruitful crops.
Quafaie are only able to procreate once a year. This goesfor both male and female Quafaie, so although they can mate with other peoples(Dwarfs, Elves, Humans), it is quite rare. 

Since they appear androgynous, and only procreate once ayear, they do not use masculine or feminine personal pronouns, instead theyhave their own – see below:
Third-person Singular
Subject
Objective
Reflective
Possessive
Masculine
He
Him
Himself
His
Feminine
She
Her
Herself
Hers
Neutral
It
It
Itself
Its
Quafaie
Quie
Quir
Quirself
Quirs
Note: the plural of Quafaie is Quafiae (one Quafaie, manyQuafaie)

Quafaie reach sexual maturity at 20 years of age. Aroundthis time, usually the year leading up to their 20th birthday, theyare sent out of the community to learn more about themselves and the world atlarge. When they reach sexual maturity they go through a rite of passage inwhich they choose their adult name – which they discovered while out in theworld. 

They live to about 200 years old, almost as long as Dwarfs(which live to about 250 years). Both male and female Quafaie reach a form of menopauseat the age of about 150; the last 50 years of their life is generally helpingthe community, usually teaching, as they are considered wise elders at thatpoint in life.

More about Quafaie and other creatures of Hugh Kemeny’sinvention in other posts.  

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (21 November 2011):

"Zen opens a man's eyes to the greatest mystery as it is daily and hourly performed; it enlarges the heart to embrace eternity of time and infinity of space in its every palpitation; it makes us live in the world as if walking in the garden of Eden."
- D.T. Suzuki


Zen from Tuesday 9 August 2011:

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
- Gandhi


Zen from Tuesday 27 September 2011:

"Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury - to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind."
- Albert Einstein


Zen from Tuesday 25 October 2011:

"I claim to be no more than the average person with less than average ability. I have not the shadow of doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith."
- Gandhi

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (19/20 November 2011):

"If you fail to achieve freedom in this life, when do you expect to achieve it?"
- Wu-hsin


Zen from Monday 8 August 2011:

"To be great, be whole; exclude
Nothing, exaggerate nothing that is you.
Be whole in everything. Put all you are
Into the smallest thing you do.
The whole moon gleams in every pool,
It rides so high."

- Fernando Pessoa


Zen from Monday 26 September 2011:

"When I am tired of being closed in, suddenly I come upon a clearing, and the mind is at peace."
- Wang Wei


Zen from Monday 24 October 2011:

"Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear; trust the unfolding of life, and you will attain true serenity."
- Bhagavad Gita

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (19/20 November 2011):

"If you fail to achieve freedom in this life, when do you expect to achieve it?"
- Wu-hsin


Zen from Sat/Sun 6/7 August 2011:

"Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer."
- D.T. Suzuki


Zen from Sat/Sun 24/25 September 2011:

"Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf."
- Native American Indian proverb


Zen from Sat/Sun 22/23 October 2011:

"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should see sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Friday, November 18, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (18 November 2011):

"Events and hopes seldom agree.
Who can step back does not worry.
We blossom and fade like flowers,
Gather and part like clouds.
Worldly thoughts I forgot long ago,
Relaxing all day on a peak."

- Stonehouse


Zen from Friday 5 August 2011:

"Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully. Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others will be possible."
- Thich Nhat Hanh


Zen from Friday 23 September 2011:

"How could drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


Zen from Friday 21 October 2011:

"Do not be afraid to take a chance on peace, to teach peace, to live peace.... Peace will be the last word of history."
- John Paul II

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (17 November 2011):

"Worldly ups and downs
Should be treated
As lightly as clouds
Gathering and breaking up."

- Anonymous


Zen from Thursday 4 August 2011:

"...to Look life in the face, always to look life in the cace, and to know what it is, to love it for what it is. At lase to know it. To love it for what it is. And then to put it away."
- Virginia Woolf


Zen from Thursday 22 September 2011:

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it as someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
- Buddha


Zen from Thursday 20 October 2011:

"We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather around us, that they may see their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer perhaps even fiercer life because of our quiet."
- William Butler Yeats

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (16 November 2011):

"Delight in meditation and in solitude. Compose yourself, be happy. You are a seeker"
- The Dhammapada


Zen from Wednesday 3 August 2011:

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."
- Buddha


Zen from Wednesday 21 September 2011:

"My mind remains wide,
So my place is naturally remote."

- Tao Yuan Ming


Zen from Wednesday 19 October 2011:

"To live here and now you must train yourself: In the seen there will be just the seen, in the heard just the heard, in the sensed just the sensed, in the thought just the thought. That is the end of sorrow."
- Buddha

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (15 November 2011):

"Those who have strong passions are never able to perceive the Way. It is like stirring up clear water with your hands; you may come wishing to find a reflection of your face, but you'll never see clearly in disturbed waters. A mind troubled and vexed with passions is never able to see the Way."
- Sutra of Forth-two Chapters


Zen from Tuesday 2 August 2011:

"The essence of man is not what he is, but in what he is able to be."
- Abraham Joshua Herschel


Zen from Tuesday 20 September 2011:

"Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Zen from Tuesday 18 October 2011:

"Once we recognize that thoughts are empty, the mind will no longer habe the power to deceive us."
- Khyetse Rinpoche

Monday, November 14, 2011

Daily Zen

Today's Zen (14 November 2011):

"We have long forgotten that activities can be simple and precise. Every act of our lives can contain simplicity and precision and thus can have tremendous beauty and dignity."
- Chogyam Trungpa


Zen from Monday 1 August 2011:

"But do not ask me where I am going,
As I travel in this limitles world,
Where every step I take is my home."

- Dogen


Zen from Monday 19 September 2011:

"Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm."
- Robert Louis Stevenson


Zen from Sat/Sun 15/16 October 2011:

"If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset."
- Krishnamurti


Zen from Monday 17 October 2011:

"To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times."
- Thomas Merton