Book 5, also called the Zenarchist's CookBook, is a Discordian text created to relay the idea of Zenarchy to followers of Discordianism. Its authorship is unknown, though the text claims it "has been prepared by the Paratheoanametamystikhood Of Eris Escteric (POEE) Council of the Twenty-Third Degree, for the jurisdiction of The Legion Of Dynamic Discord, and of the House Of The Apostles Of Eris, by the Pope and Poo-Bah-Pontif, under the grand command of the office of his High Reverence, the Benevolent Polyfather." Like many Discordian texts, is it Kopylefted, enabling any part of the text to be copied, changed or published.
About the title[edit]
Zenarchist's CookBook is a play on the title Anarchist's Cookbook. The book is meant to be somewhat of a manual on zenarchy, just as the Anarchist's Cookbook is a manual on anarchy. (Zenarchy, which is a book and concept created by Discordianism co-founder Kerry Thornley, is a belief that widespread enlightenment would lead to dissolution or loss of power of the state.) Like Principia Discordia, it also focuses on the distinction between destructive chaos versus constructive chaos. The book claims anarchy is destructive chaos while zenarchy embodies constructive chaos. Book 5 refers to the Discordian Law of Fives which states that "all things happen in fives."
Contents[edit]
The Zenarchist's CookBook is divided into 5 parts:
- Part I - "HotDogs and Catma", the book's introduction.
- Part II - "Zenarchy Nutshell", the main section which defines zenarchy and a Discordian view of zen.
- Part III - "The Book of Phibs (Phalsely Called Phakes)" has three sections. The first tells about the Five elements (Chinese philosophy); the second, Alchemy, tells how to make a hallucinogenic ceremonial drink using rum and marijuana; and the third, Tarot, talks about card tricks.
- Part IV - "Fragments From Forgotten Sermons" contains several previously unpublished Discordian pieces.
- Part V - "The Starseed Trance-Mission" is a poem, allegedly channeled from a cosmic intelligence.