Unworldly Wise: as the owl remarked to the rabbit

XXIII. 'HEADS AND TAILS'

XXIII. 'HEADS AND TAILS' 'Mind your head!' warned the rabbit, as a branch began to break off above the owl. T have no head,' he stated with finality. 'No ?' queried the rabbit, looking up at it. 'What you are looking at only seems to exist in your aspect of mind,' he replied, 'purely phenomenal, and conceptualized.' 'Then you are headless to yourself?' asked the rabbit. 'As you are—if you would only look and see/ replied the owl patiently. 'So it seems: yes, indeed,' agreed the rabbit. 'Then how does it work?' 'It doesn't,' the owl answered. 'I am the absence of my head; and of all that is in it!' he added conclusively. 'Does anyone know that but us?' asked the rabbit, contemplatively chewing a bean-stalk. 'A wise biped in England even has the sense to teach it,' the owl told her. 'And do they believe him?' the rabbit inquired, raising one ear. 'Too heavily conditioned,' the owl answered, flapping his wings, 'but many have understood; it is a direct way in, and known to ancient sages, but primarily an experience .' 47 XXIII. 'HEADS AND TAILS' 'Mind your head!' warned the rabbit, as a branch began to break off above the owl. 'I have no head,' he stated with finality. 'No?' queried the rabbit, looking up at it. 'What you are looking at only seems to exist in your aspect of mind,' he replied, 'purely phenomenal, and conceptualized.' 'Then you are headless to yourself?' asked the rabbit. 'As you are-if you would only look and see,' replied the owl patiently. 'So it seems: yes, indeed,' agreed the rabbit. 'Then how does it work?' 'It doesn't,' the owl answered. 'I am the absence of my head; and of all that is in it!' he added conclusively. 'Does anyone know that but us?' asked the rabbit, contemplatively chewing a bean-stalk. 'A wise biped in England even has the sense to teach it,' the owl told her. . . 'And do they believe him?' the rabbit inquired, ralsmg one ear. 'Too heavily conditioned,' the owl answered, flapping his wings, 'but many have understood; it is a direct way in, and known to ancient sages, but primarily an experience .' 47 XXIII. 'Heads and Tails' 'Then what about the rest of us—I mean apart from our heads ?' asked the rabbit ruminatively. 'Looks much as usual, of course: objective appearance in mind.' 'But we are then free ?' the rabbit inquired with a skip. T have never been bound,' the owl hooted definitively, folding his wings. 'And have I no tail either?' asked the rabbit mischievously . 'You have nothing,' hooted the owl, swivelling his head and fixing her with his great eyes. 'There is no "you" to have any "thing" and no "thing" for any "you" to have! Moreover the one you think you have is nothing to worry about anyway.' 48 XXIII. 'Heads and Tails' 'Then what about the rest of us-I mean apart from our heads?' asked the rabbit ruminatively. 'Looks much as usual, ofcourse: objective appearance in mind.' 'But we are then free ?' the rabbit inquired with a skip. 'I have never been bound,' the owl hooted definitively, folding his wings. 'And have I no tail either?' asked the rabbit mischievously . 'You have nothing,' hooted the owl, swivelling his head and fixing her with his great eyes. 'There is no "you" to have any "thing" and no "thing" for any "you" to haveI Moreover the one you think you have is nothing to worry about anyway.' ...