apropos of nothing

We were in a store that sold secondhand clothes and other donations.

 I was looking at books.

Jesus was talking to the clerks.

Lao Tzu was looking at children's toys.

"Look at this," he said.

Jesus and I came over.

He had two wooden blocks.

One had a 1 carved into it; the other a 0.

"If you think you are 1, you are 0," he said.

My mind congealed.

I looked at Jesus.

Jesus said, "If you think you are something, you are nothing."

"There is no room in the In," said Lao Tzu.

Jesus laughed.

"If you know you are 0, you are 1," said Jesus.

"Plenty of room," said Lao Tzu.

"I see," I said, "If you know you are nothing, you are something."

"Yes," said Lao Tzu. "Here," he said, handing me the blocks.

"Buy these. Tomorrow we will get into 2 and 3."