The Book of Form and Emptiness

The Book relates Chapter 3 of Tidy Magic in full. Aikon describes how, when her teacher was still alive, she once served him tea and accidentally dropped a teacup. Though her teacher says the cup is already broken when she serves the tea, Aikon doesn’t discern a crack on it. Her teacher explains that it is in the nature of a teacup to break eventually, and so it is better to think of it as already broken to avoid becoming too attached. “That day, my teacher gave me a priceless lesson in the impermanence of form, and the empty nature of all things” (458). Several years later, the same teacup breaks during an earthquake. The earthquake causes a devastating tsunami, reinforcing the teacher’s philosophy on impermanence.

Benny is drawn in by Aikon’s discussion of impermanence and the connection between the tsunami and Alice’s snow globe. Benny admits that it is good to remember his story, despite it being painful, and he is glad the Book continued without him.

The Book agrees that it is good to remember, but that the ending of a book is collaborative, and it needs Benny’s participation.