mutual aspects of NO THING

'Why are we friends?'

'Because, of course, relatively speaking, we are aspects of one another,' the owl explained.

'So that is it?' mused the rabbit. 'So different---and yet mutual aspects of something!'

'Nonsense!' the owl screeched, swivelling his head and turning his great eyes towards her. 'Mutual aspects of NO THING!'

'Is there really any difference?' asked the rabbit; 'I mean between "some thing" and "no thing"?'

'Of course not,' answered the owl, 'if you understand that.'

'Because what I am---you are, and what you are---I am?' queried the rabbit.

'Quite so,' the owl remarked, 'but, if you know that, why say it?'

'I know it a little,' said the rabbit, humbly, 'but I am never sure if I really do!'

'You necessarily know it,' the owl corrected,'but you are so conditioned that you can hardly believe what you know. Why do you ask?'

'I picked a particularly luscious thistle just now, and I found myself saying "but you are what I am"!'

'And wasn't he?'

'Yes, but it took away my appetite!'

'Conditioning! Conditioning!' hooted the owl. 'He is what you are as I, not as "me"!'

'What is the difference?' inquired the rabbit, puzzled.

'All and none', explained the owl;'"difference" appears relatively---absolutely there cannot even be appearance.'

'But relatively...?'

'Relatively, for instance, your offsprings are an aspect of "you" as "me", as well as being what you are as I, but absolutely there can be no difference whatever.'