Difference between revisions of "Master Kaen"

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  |MR=10
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{{questmon|Master Kaen|Monk|nemesis}} He is extremely difficult: hits hard and often, casts spells, and ignores [[Elbereth]].
+
{{questmon|Master Kaen|Monk|nemesis}} He guards the [[Bell of Opening]] and the Monk's [[quest artifact]], [[The Eyes of the Overworld]].
 +
 
 +
Master Kaen has two very strong 'claw' attacks, the ability to cast clerical [[monster spell]]s during each of his turns, and a third 'claw' attack that can [[Covetous|steal the quest artifact]] if you obtained it from him without killing him. He possesses [[poison resistance]].
 +
 
 +
Eating Master Kaen's [[corpse]] or [[tin]] is guaranteed to convey poison resistance, though this will count as [[cannibalism]] since only [[Human (starting race)|humans]] can be Monks.
 +
 
 +
==Generation==
 +
Master Kaen is generated on one of two squares of the [[Monk quest]] goal level, standing atop an unaligned [[altar]] with The Eyes of the Overworld underneath him.
 +
 
 +
In addition to the Bell of Opening, Master Kaen has a {{frac|11}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a [[cloak of magic resistance]], and will otherwise be generated with a [[robe]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|696|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
−
Kaen is incredibly ferocious in a straight-up fight. Fortunately, he has weaknesses, and a wise Monk will exploit them – in the words of Sun Tsu, "You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points." Kaen's weaknesses include his predictable behavior (teleporting to the upstair to heal), and his lack of key resistances (sleep, level drain, and disintegration). The strategies listed below generally strive to play upon these weaknesses.
+
Master Kaen is extremely difficult: he hits hard and often, casts clerical spells, and ignores [[Elbereth]], making him incredibly ferocious in a straight-up fight. Among Kaen's few weaknesses are his [[covetous]] behavior, his low [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10 and his lack of resistances - specifically [[sleep resistance]], [[drain resistance]], and [[disintegration resistance]]. If you lack the means to take advantage of these, you can postpone the Quest until after you have finished the [[Castle]]. A [[luckstone]] and high [[Luck]] may be useful if you want to hit him in melee.
  
−
Even with a good game plan, you may find Kaen a deadly opponent. You will want a very low AC to degrade his attacks (-20 is comfortable; you may get by with less), enough HP to survive multiple rounds of combat against him (200+), and a very high Luck (remember the altar you get on the first Quest level) to ensure that you are able to hit him. All of this – and the strength of the other enemies you face on the Quest – indicates postponing this battle until you have had enough time to prepare for it. Generally, you will be strong enough after you have finished the [[Castle]] and retrieved the [[luckstone]] from [[Mine's End]].
+
Thankfully, Master Kaen respects the [[scroll of scare monster]], meaning that you only need to place one on the upstairs as soon as you arrive - this will leave him unable to do anything except possibly cast healing spells on himself. From there, you can finish him off however you please, using one of the other strategies listed further below in conjunction with the scroll; death rays from a [[wand of death]] or [[finger of death]] should make short work of him, and the stronger attack [[wand]]s (e.g. lightning, fire, or cold) will work nicely as well.
  
−
===Paralysis or sleep===
+
If he generates with the cloak of magic resistance, you can employ your martial arts and/or whatever weapons and projectiles you have available to bring him down; use {{kbd|F}} to ensure you stay on your square while attacking, and watch out for rays from a [[wand of fire]] that can burn the scroll of scare monster up from under you. Grand Master skill [[martial arts]] is your best bet to finish him quickly, and those not committed to [[weaponless]] conduct may consider artifacts like [[Mjollnir]].
−
Wield or throw a [[potion of paralysis]] while wearing a [[ring of free action]] or zap him with the [[sleep]] spell or wand. Make sure you can use this method multiple times to ensure his immobility – you may miss, or he may wake up before you finish killing him.
 
  
−
[[Sleep]] is a keyword to defeat him even at level 14 – it is difficult to overstate the power of this lowly spell against Kaen. After rendering him helpless, be sure to hit him hard. [[Mjollnir]] is an excellent choice if you have it, as are the [[martial arts]] at Grand Master skill level. But one or two of the stronger attack [[wand]]s, such as Lightning, Fire or Cold will work nicely as well. About 12 shots total should suffice, again assuming your luck is sufficiently high and you don't have too many misses.
+
If you lack a scroll of scare monster and have no other means of procuring one, the additional strategies discussed in the following sections can help ensure a relatively safe fight against Master Kaen.
 +
 
 +
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|The scroll of scare monster no longer works on any {{white|@}} or unique monster.}}
 +
 
 +
===Immobilizing Kaen===
 +
The [[spell of sleep]] or a [[wand of sleep]] is enough to render Kaen helpless, especially if he has magic resistance. The sleep spell is one of the spells that a Monk may start the game with - a [[potion of sleeping]] will also suffice if you lack the other measures, though be prepared in case you miss (e.g. multiple potions). In general, you should also be prepared to put him under again if he wakes up before you finish him off. Throwing a [[potion of paralysis]] or (preferably) attacking with a wielded potion while wearing a [[ring of free action]] is also viable.
 +
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Monks can no longer start with the spellbook of sleep, and the spell has its level raised to 3.}}
  
 
===Boulder fort===
 
===Boulder fort===
−
A [[scroll of earth]] (preferably blessed) will create a safe barrier around you that Kaen can not cross. You may then use any ranged attacks such as spells, wands or missiles (excluding force bolt/wand of striking, which will destroy the boulders). As Kaen lacks long-range attacks, your only hazards will be the Xorns and Elementals, which can phase through the rocks (though Xorns and Elementals both respect [[Elbereth]]), and any attack wands which might be randomly generated and used by a monster. You will have to cope with his ability to port to upstair and heal himself, and escape upstairs to the next level – so building a fort on the upstair yourself is a good approach.
+
Reading a noncursed [[scroll of earth]]—preferably blessed and on the upstair—will create a safe barrier around you that Master Kaen cannot cross, leaving you free to use any projectiles, spells or wands. As Kaen lacks long-range attacks, your main hazards will be the [[xorn]]s and [[earth elemental]]s that can phase through the rocks (though they both respect [[Elbereth]]). Attack wands and projectiles used by other hostiles can fire past boulders easily, and a [[wand of striking]] can destroy boulders and leave an opening for Kaen - be careful not to push one out by accident!
 +
 
 +
===Lava crossing===
 +
Similarly, you can use fireproof [[water walking boots]] or [[levitate]] over the lava; you should have intrinsic [[fire resistance]] at this point, e.g. usually from reaching [[experience level]] 11, and should also fireproof your inventory as well. You can use ranged attacks and attack wands from this position, while preventing Kaen from reaching you and restricting him to casting [[cure self]] and [[summon insects]] at that distance. Beware of any items or attacks that can compromise your ability to lava-walk or levitate, such as lightning destroying your [[ring of levitation]]!
  
 
===Drain life===
 
===Drain life===
−
Use the {{spell of|drain life}} spell until he croaks. It is a good idea to do this on the level above and when he teleports away (to heal the modest HP damage that drain life does on top of the draining effect), go downstairs to heal yourself, preferably on a burned Elbereth. Eidolos uses this method for his instructional [[ttyrec]] [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/msg/9e49acd70618cbd6 posted on RGRN]. The ttyrec can be found [http://alt.org/nethack/getoldttyrec.php?player=Eidolos&fname=2006-05-22.02:01:07.ttyrec.bz2 here].
+
It is also possible to bombard Master Kaen with the {{spell of|drain life}} spell repeatedly until he croaks. It is a good idea to do this on the level above - when he teleports away (to heal the modest HP damage that drain life does on top of the draining effect), go downstairs to heal yourself, preferably on a burned Elbereth. Eidolos uses this method for his instructional [[ttyrec]] [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.nethack/msg/9e49acd70618cbd6 posted on RGRN]; the ttyrec can be found [http://alt.org/nethack/getoldttyrec.php?player=Eidolos&fname=2006-05-22.02:01:07.ttyrec.bz2 here].
  
−
===Levitation===
+
===Polymorphing yourself===
−
Use fireproof [[water walking boots]] while fire resistant or levitate over the lava and use ranged attacks and attack wands. At a distance, Kaen only casts the heal self and create insects spells. Beware of losing your ability to levitate – as from lightning destroying your ring! If you levitate over lava, Master Kaen cannot reach you.
+
Even if Master Kaen generates with a cloak of magic resistance, he is not immune to [[disintegration]]. [[Polymorph control|Controlled polymorphing]] into a [[black dragon]] and using [[Monster (command)|#monster]] can kill him very quickly and easily, though his exceptionally low AC gives him a decent chance of dodging the first few breath attacks.
  
−
===Polymorph===
+
Whatever your form, your priority when using polyself should be to position yourself at the appropriate distance first, e.g., using the black dragon's [[flight]] to take advantage of the lava, before attacking with what ranged options you have. You can also establish a boulder fort prior to changing forms, which trades preparation time and resources for much less risk.
−
Although Master Kaen gains magic resistance from the [[The Eyes of the Overworld|quest artifact]] and is thus immune to [[wand of death|wands of death]], he is not immune to [[disintegration]]. Polymorphing into a [[black dragon]] and using [[Monster (command)|#monster]] can allow you to kill him very quickly and easily, though it's important to note that his exceptionally low AC gives him a decent chance to dodge the breath attack. Because of his AC, it's safest to attack him under the assumption that you will miss the first few shots, and thus have positioned yourself at an appropriate distance from him. If you are reduced to 0 HP in dragon form, you will revert to your original form, and should have a backup plan of escape (or attack) ready. To be extra safe, polymorphing can be combined with the levitation strategy mentioned above because of the dragon form's natural flight, though flying over lava as a dragon can be risky as if the polymorph wears off, you'll lose the dragon's flying ability and die in the lava, unless you have some form of backup levitation/flight that isn't removed by the polymorph. Alternatively, you can combine the polymorph with the boulder fort strategy, which is less risky but requires more preparation.
+
 
 +
If you elect not to pair this with unchanging, have a backup plan of escape or attack ready if you revert to normal form or are reduced to 0 HP while polymorphed—having a backup source of levitation that isn't affected by your polyself is recommended if you plan to use the lava as a defense.
 +
 
 +
===Polymorphing Master Kaen===
 +
Master Kaen has no resistance against being polymorphed other than his low MR score, so a couple of zaps from a [[wand of polymorph]] should suffice. Bashing him with a [[potion of polymorph]] may also work, but you will want to have extras or a backup plan in case he resists the first. Whatever he transforms into will most likely be less dangerous than his original form, but there is a non-zero chance of him becoming something equally threatening like a [[titan]] or [[arch-lich]] that has enough MR to resist being polymorphed again.
 +
 
 +
If you use the wand, note that if Master Kaen has not awakened and picked up the Eyes yet, there is a {{frac|20}} chance of them being polymorphed and destroyed. This can also happen if Master Kaen dies of [[system shock]].
  
 
===Melee===
 
===Melee===
−
Fight Kaen mano-a-mano. Not recommended. Master Kaen has a higher base damage than any other monster, resulting in very stable and impressive damage, compounded by the monk's high [[AC]]. You are therefore opposing his strengths with your weaknesses. Sufficiently advanced players have managed to do this, however. If you decide to go this route, make sure you have high health, low AC, and if at all possible, [[half physical damage]].
+
You can fight Kaen mano-a-mano if all else somehow fails - despite his stellar AC and powerful base damage, sufficiently advanced players have managed to defeat him this way. If you decide to go this route, make sure you have very high health, low AC, and [[half physical damage]] if at all possible.
 +
 
 +
==History==
 +
Master Kaen first appears in [[NetHack Plus]], which introduces the Monk role and their quest branch - all of these are introduced to vanilla in [[NetHack 3.3.0]]. From this version to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, Master Kaen is not affected by the scroll of scare monster, and additionally gains magic resistance from carrying The Eyes of the Overworld, rendering several type of spells and wands ineffective regardless of what cloak he generates with.
 +
 
 +
The changes to The Eyes of the Overworld's magic resistance and Master Kaen's vulnerability to the scroll of scare monster are introduced in [[NetHack 3.6.0]].
  
 +
==Variants==
 
===SLASH'EM===
 
===SLASH'EM===
−
In [[SLASH'EM]], the [[potion of invulnerability]] turns Master Kaen from one of the most dangerous enemies into one of the least. Additionally, liberal use of [[technique]]s, such as [[Chi strike]] plus [[Elemental fist]] plus [[Pummel]], has been known to kill Master Kaen in a single round of melee.
+
In [[SLASH'EM]], Monks have a much better chance against Master Kaen through liberal use of [[technique]]s: combinations such as [[chi strike]] plus [[elemental fist]] plus [[pummel]] can even kill him in a single round of melee. A quaffed [[potion of invulnerability]] in particular can turn the fight into a cakewalk.
 +
 
 +
===EvilHack===
 +
In [[EvilHack]], Master Kaen does not respect the scroll of scare monster, and his second 16d2 'claw' attack can knock the target back one or two squares, much like the melee attacks of player and non-player Monks (including the [[quest leader]] and [[guardian]]s). A majority of the goal level is composed of lava as in ''NetHack'', introducing the possibility of being sent flying into a certain doom if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Additionally, the list of clerical monster spells is expanded to include many more dangerous spells, including [[Vulnerability (monster spell)|vulnerability]], and some existing monster spells are buffed indirectly or otherwise (e.g., summon insects can generate [[sickness]]-inducing [[locusts]]).
 +
 
 +
==Encyclopedia entry==
 +
Master Kaen shares his encyclopedia entry with the monk.
 +
 
 +
{{encyclopedia|
 +
One day, an army general invited the Buddhist monk I-Hsiu
 +
(literally, "One Rest") to his military head office for a
 +
dinner.  I-Hsiu was not accustomed to wearing luxurious
 +
clothings and so he just put on an old ordinary casual
 +
robe to go to the military base.  To him, "form is void".
 +
 
 +
As he approached the base, two soldiers appeared before him
 +
and shouted, "Where does this beggar came from?  Identify
 +
yourself!  You do not have permission to be around here!"
 +
 
 +
"My name is I-Hsiu Dharma Master.  I am invited by your
 +
general for a supper."
 +
 
 +
The two soldiers examined the monk closely and said, "You
 +
liar.  How come my general invites such a shabby monk to
 +
dinner?  He invites the very solemn venerable I-Hsiu to our
 +
base for a great ceremony today, not you.  Now, get out!"
 +
 
 +
I-Hsiu was unable to convince the soldiers that he was
 +
indeed the invited guest, so he returned to the temple
 +
and changed to a very formal solemn ceremonial robe for
 +
the dinner.  And as he returned to the military base, the
 +
soldiers observed that he was such a great Buddhist monk,
 +
let him in with honour.
 +
 
 +
At the dinner, I-Hsiu sat in front of the table full of
 +
food but, instead of putting the food into his mouth, he
 +
picked up the food with his chopsticks and put it into
 +
his sleeves.  The general was curious, and whispered to
 +
him, "This is very embarrassing.  Do you want to take
 +
some food back to the temple?  I will order the cook to
 +
prepare some take out orders for you."  "No" replied the
 +
monk.  "When I came here, I was not allowed into the
 +
base by your soldiers until I wear this ceremonial robe.
 +
You do not invite me for a dinner.  You invite my robe.
 +
Therefore, my robe is eating the food, not me."
 +
|[ Dining with a General - a Zen Buddhism Koan ]
 +
}}
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/monk_faq.html The Monk FAQ].
+
* [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/monk_faq.html The Monk FAQ]
−
{{nethack-343}}
+
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
{{nethack-367}}

Latest revision as of 06:36, 24 March 2024

@ Master Kaen Master Kaen.png
Difficulty 31
Attacks

Claw 16d2, claw 16d2, spell-casting (clerical), claw 1d4 quest-artifact-stealing

Base level 25
Base experience 1095
Speed 12
Base AC −10
Base MR 10
Alignment −20 (chaotic)
Frequency (by normal means) Unique
Genocidable No
Weight 1450
Nutritional value 400
Size Medium
Resistances Poison, stoning
Resistances conveyed

Poison (100%)

Master Kaen:

Reference monst.c#line3256

Master Kaen, @, is the Monk quest nemesis. He guards the Bell of Opening and the Monk's quest artifact, The Eyes of the Overworld.

Master Kaen has two very strong 'claw' attacks, the ability to cast clerical monster spells during each of his turns, and a third 'claw' attack that can steal the quest artifact if you obtained it from him without killing him. He possesses poison resistance.

Eating Master Kaen's corpse or tin is guaranteed to convey poison resistance, though this will count as cannibalism since only humans can be Monks.

Generation

Master Kaen is generated on one of two squares of the Monk quest goal level, standing atop an unaligned altar with The Eyes of the Overworld underneath him.

In addition to the Bell of Opening, Master Kaen has a 1⁄11 chance of being generated with a cloak of magic resistance, and will otherwise be generated with a robe.[1]

Strategy

Master Kaen is extremely difficult: he hits hard and often, casts clerical spells, and ignores Elbereth, making him incredibly ferocious in a straight-up fight. Among Kaen's few weaknesses are his covetous behavior, his low MR score of 10 and his lack of resistances - specifically sleep resistance, drain resistance, and disintegration resistance. If you lack the means to take advantage of these, you can postpone the Quest until after you have finished the Castle. A luckstone and high Luck may be useful if you want to hit him in melee.

Thankfully, Master Kaen respects the scroll of scare monster, meaning that you only need to place one on the upstairs as soon as you arrive - this will leave him unable to do anything except possibly cast healing spells on himself. From there, you can finish him off however you please, using one of the other strategies listed further below in conjunction with the scroll; death rays from a wand of death or finger of death should make short work of him, and the stronger attack wands (e.g. lightning, fire, or cold) will work nicely as well.

If he generates with the cloak of magic resistance, you can employ your martial arts and/or whatever weapons and projectiles you have available to bring him down; use F to ensure you stay on your square while attacking, and watch out for rays from a wand of fire that can burn the scroll of scare monster up from under you. Grand Master skill martial arts is your best bet to finish him quickly, and those not committed to weaponless conduct may consider artifacts like Mjollnir.

If you lack a scroll of scare monster and have no other means of procuring one, the additional strategies discussed in the following sections can help ensure a relatively safe fight against Master Kaen.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

The scroll of scare monster no longer works on any @ or unique monster.

Immobilizing Kaen

The spell of sleep or a wand of sleep is enough to render Kaen helpless, especially if he has magic resistance. The sleep spell is one of the spells that a Monk may start the game with - a potion of sleeping will also suffice if you lack the other measures, though be prepared in case you miss (e.g. multiple potions). In general, you should also be prepared to put him under again if he wakes up before you finish him off. Throwing a potion of paralysis or (preferably) attacking with a wielded potion while wearing a ring of free action is also viable.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

Monks can no longer start with the spellbook of sleep, and the spell has its level raised to 3.

Boulder fort

Reading a noncursed scroll of earth—preferably blessed and on the upstair—will create a safe barrier around you that Master Kaen cannot cross, leaving you free to use any projectiles, spells or wands. As Kaen lacks long-range attacks, your main hazards will be the xorns and earth elementals that can phase through the rocks (though they both respect Elbereth). Attack wands and projectiles used by other hostiles can fire past boulders easily, and a wand of striking can destroy boulders and leave an opening for Kaen - be careful not to push one out by accident!

Lava crossing

Similarly, you can use fireproof water walking boots or levitate over the lava; you should have intrinsic fire resistance at this point, e.g. usually from reaching experience level 11, and should also fireproof your inventory as well. You can use ranged attacks and attack wands from this position, while preventing Kaen from reaching you and restricting him to casting cure self and summon insects at that distance. Beware of any items or attacks that can compromise your ability to lava-walk or levitate, such as lightning destroying your ring of levitation!

Drain life

It is also possible to bombard Master Kaen with the drain life spell repeatedly until he croaks. It is a good idea to do this on the level above - when he teleports away (to heal the modest HP damage that drain life does on top of the draining effect), go downstairs to heal yourself, preferably on a burned Elbereth. Eidolos uses this method for his instructional ttyrec posted on RGRN; the ttyrec can be found here.

Polymorphing yourself

Even if Master Kaen generates with a cloak of magic resistance, he is not immune to disintegration. Controlled polymorphing into a black dragon and using #monster can kill him very quickly and easily, though his exceptionally low AC gives him a decent chance of dodging the first few breath attacks.

Whatever your form, your priority when using polyself should be to position yourself at the appropriate distance first, e.g., using the black dragon's flight to take advantage of the lava, before attacking with what ranged options you have. You can also establish a boulder fort prior to changing forms, which trades preparation time and resources for much less risk.

If you elect not to pair this with unchanging, have a backup plan of escape or attack ready if you revert to normal form or are reduced to 0 HP while polymorphed—having a backup source of levitation that isn't affected by your polyself is recommended if you plan to use the lava as a defense.

Polymorphing Master Kaen

Master Kaen has no resistance against being polymorphed other than his low MR score, so a couple of zaps from a wand of polymorph should suffice. Bashing him with a potion of polymorph may also work, but you will want to have extras or a backup plan in case he resists the first. Whatever he transforms into will most likely be less dangerous than his original form, but there is a non-zero chance of him becoming something equally threatening like a titan or arch-lich that has enough MR to resist being polymorphed again.

If you use the wand, note that if Master Kaen has not awakened and picked up the Eyes yet, there is a 1⁄20 chance of them being polymorphed and destroyed. This can also happen if Master Kaen dies of system shock.

Melee

You can fight Kaen mano-a-mano if all else somehow fails - despite his stellar AC and powerful base damage, sufficiently advanced players have managed to defeat him this way. If you decide to go this route, make sure you have very high health, low AC, and half physical damage if at all possible.

History

Master Kaen first appears in NetHack Plus, which introduces the Monk role and their quest branch - all of these are introduced to vanilla in NetHack 3.3.0. From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, Master Kaen is not affected by the scroll of scare monster, and additionally gains magic resistance from carrying The Eyes of the Overworld, rendering several type of spells and wands ineffective regardless of what cloak he generates with.

The changes to The Eyes of the Overworld's magic resistance and Master Kaen's vulnerability to the scroll of scare monster are introduced in NetHack 3.6.0.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, Monks have a much better chance against Master Kaen through liberal use of techniques: combinations such as chi strike plus elemental fist plus pummel can even kill him in a single round of melee. A quaffed potion of invulnerability in particular can turn the fight into a cakewalk.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, Master Kaen does not respect the scroll of scare monster, and his second 16d2 'claw' attack can knock the target back one or two squares, much like the melee attacks of player and non-player Monks (including the quest leader and guardians). A majority of the goal level is composed of lava as in NetHack, introducing the possibility of being sent flying into a certain doom if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Additionally, the list of clerical monster spells is expanded to include many more dangerous spells, including vulnerability, and some existing monster spells are buffed indirectly or otherwise (e.g., summon insects can generate sickness-inducing locusts).

Encyclopedia entry

Master Kaen shares his encyclopedia entry with the monk.

One day, an army general invited the Buddhist monk I-Hsiu
(literally, "One Rest") to his military head office for a
dinner. I-Hsiu was not accustomed to wearing luxurious
clothings and so he just put on an old ordinary casual
robe to go to the military base. To him, "form is void".

As he approached the base, two soldiers appeared before him
and shouted, "Where does this beggar came from? Identify
yourself! You do not have permission to be around here!"

"My name is I-Hsiu Dharma Master. I am invited by your
general for a supper."

The two soldiers examined the monk closely and said, "You
liar. How come my general invites such a shabby monk to
dinner? He invites the very solemn venerable I-Hsiu to our
base for a great ceremony today, not you. Now, get out!"

I-Hsiu was unable to convince the soldiers that he was
indeed the invited guest, so he returned to the temple
and changed to a very formal solemn ceremonial robe for
the dinner. And as he returned to the military base, the
soldiers observed that he was such a great Buddhist monk,
let him in with honour.

At the dinner, I-Hsiu sat in front of the table full of
food but, instead of putting the food into his mouth, he
picked up the food with his chopsticks and put it into
his sleeves. The general was curious, and whispered to
him, "This is very embarrassing. Do you want to take
some food back to the temple? I will order the cook to
prepare some take out orders for you." "No" replied the
monk. "When I came here, I was not allowed into the
base by your soldiers until I wear this ceremonial robe.
You do not invite me for a dinner. You invite my robe.
Therefore, my robe is eating the food, not me."

[ Dining with a General - a Zen Buddhism Koan ]

External links

References

  1. ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 696
Retrieved from "https://nethackwiki.com/index.php?title=Master_Kaen&oldid=165543"