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Koan

The control which can be frobbed is not the true control. / Photo: Ian Easton

Earlier this evening, Punam and I used the self-checkout station at the grocery store. At first, everything proceeded normally - I entered my club card number, scanned the OJ and veggies, indicated that we were done, and chose to pay by card. The familiar prompt appeared on the touchscreen: “Please use the PIN pad to complete your transaction.” I looked down at the display of the PIN pad, which helpfully was telling me to “USE TOUCHSCREEN TO COMPLETE TRANSACTION.” The completion of the transaction did not inhere in the PIN pad or the touchscreen, but in the resignation of the possibility of completion.

At that moment, we achieved enlightenment.

Then the Clerk responsible for overseeing the self-checkouts plokta’d (pressed lots of keys to abort) the PIN pad to induce an error state in the system, from which it recovered normally and re-prompted me to choose a method of payment.

Colin’s Commentary

Truly, Clerk has the Buddha-nature. But does the PIN pad? The touchscreen? To answer is to demonstrate your own lack!

Neither rain nor rock becomes a canyon.
Neither PIN pad nor touchscreen
offers direction toward enlightenment.
The master unlocks any door with every key, all at once.

More koans here.