'You despise us Buddhists?' the rabbit sadly demanded.
'Not particularly,' the owl replied with nonchalance.'But you told me yesterday that you'd prefer a rat!'
'Quite so, one who was prepared to sacrifice his precious "self", if I remember?''Yes, this one,' said the rabbit, modestly twitching her nose, 'May I ask why?'
'No one to do it,' explained the owl, 'an absence has no flavour; digestible but not nourishing.''I don't follow,' sighed the rabbit.
'A relative presence has nothing to offer,' the owl explained patiently, 'and only its absence could do it.''Why should that be?' asked the rabbit, mystified.
'What is present takes but does not give,' the owl stated, 'such is the nature of egoistic volition extended in space-time.''But when it does?' queried the rabbit.
'Hoaxing himself,' said the owl, 'only Absence can DO.''Gives me to think,' the rabbit reflected timidly.
'Waste of time,' the owl snapped. 'Waste not, want not - just DO.''But how DO?' asked the rabbit.
'"Do as you would be done by", and let yourself be DONE!' concluded the owl. 'Anyway - you will be!'
