The Essence of Zen

In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful Microsoft error messages with Haiku poetry messages. Haiku poetry has strict construction rules — each poem has only 17 syllables; 5 syllables in the first, 7 in the second, 5 in the third.

They are used to communicate a timeless message, often achieving a wistful, yearning and powerful insight through extreme brevity. Here are 16 actual error messages from Japan. Below, the essence of Zen:

Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.

The Web site you seek
Cannot be located, but
Countless more exist.

The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao until
You bring fresh toner.

Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.

Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.

Three things are certain:
Death, taxes and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.

You step in the stream
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working. Windows is like that.

Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.