“Just sit? Like so? And then? Do what?”
“Just sit. Like so. And nothing else.”
“But what’s the point in sitting so?”
“No point, no point. Just sitting so.”
“You sure that’s how we do this thing?”
“Yes, sure. Yes, sure. Just sitting so.”
“And that will bring enlightenment?”
“No, no. No chase enlightenment.”
“A stepping stone, then? Practice run?”
“No stepping stone, no. This is it.”
“Just sitting so? And that is it?”
“Just sitting so. And this is it.”
“And yet there’s no enlightenment?”
“Who knows? Who knows? Just sitting so.”
“It must be good for something, yes?”
“No, no. It’s good for nothing. No.”
“Then what’s the point in sitting so?”
“No point, no point. Just sitting so.”
“It makes no sense. No sense at all.”
“No sense, indeed. Just sitting so.”
“I came to seek enlightenment.”
“Desire, it is. Detach desire.”
“And that will bring enlightenment?”
“Who knows? Who knows? Depends. Depends.”
“On what? How well I’m sitting so?”
“No well, no bad. Just sitting so.”
“So, how to know I’m doing right?”
“No right, no wrong. Just sitting so.”
“In twenty years, you saw no change?”
“Oh, many changes. Quite a lot.”
“And zazen is what brought the change?”
“Who knows? Who knows? But there is change.”
“Which means, it’s good for something, no?”
“No, no. It’s good for nothing. No.”
“So, why have you been doing it?”
“No why, no why. Just sitting so.”
“No why? You find it meaningful?”
“Yes, meaningful and valuable.”
“So, that is why you’re doing it.”
“Effect, effect. Not cause, not cause.”
“If meaning’s effect, sitting’s cause.”
“Effect is cause of effect’s cause?”
“Exactly, yeah. It motivates.”
“Not motive, no. Just sitting so.”
“An act without a motive, hunh?”
“The act is motive of the act.”
“But why this act? Why sitting so?”
“No clue. It works. Just sitting so.”
“It works? You want it working so?”
“No want. Just see it’s working so.”
“But seeing makes you want it, no?”
“No want. Just see. Just act. Just sit.”
“You’re full of bullshit, Roshi dude.”
“You say I’m good for nothing, yes?”
“Desire? For a compliment?”
“Haha, you catch me. Catch me good.”