50

Death comes upon Donny

As the Dude comes upon Maude.

A lifetime of achievement can occur in three ways:

Three in ten men are idealists,

Three in ten men are nihilists,

And three in ten men are materialists,

Men who will not name their sighs.

They care more about wall hangings than floor coverings.

Yet the one in ten who truly knows how to abide

Does not fear marmots in his tub,

Nor nihilists in the parking lot.

Marmots and morons do not cut off his johnson,

Nor do samurai swords cut at his Cowichan sweater

Why is this?

Because he knows how to get out of these things cheap.

As for compensation, there’s little he would ask.

Tao Te Ching: 50

In the cycle of life, death is inevitable.

This can be dealt with in different ways—

Three men in ten are students of death,

Three men in ten are students of life,

And three men in ten are so preoccupied with survival,

That they only end up accelerating their decay.

Yet the one in ten who is truly adept at living long

Does not fear wild animals in the woods,

Nor soldiers on the battlefield.

Horns and claws do not rend his flesh,

And swords do not pierce his heart.

Why is this?

Because he is a student of both life and death equally.