Philosophy is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat.
Metaphysics is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there.
Theology is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there, and believing you have found it.
Science is like being in a dark room looking for a black cat using a flashlight.
... extending this analogy...
Buddhism generally is like being a in a dark room looking for a black cat you were sure was there, but not being able to find it and concluding that cats don't exist.
Pureland Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there; but deciding to worship an imaginary red cat from another universe instead.
Lay Theravāda is like looking in a dark room for a black cat that isn't there by leaving a bowl of cat food outside the door.
Monastic Theravāda is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there, by dissecting all the cats into their constituent parts and declaring that cats don't exist.
Madhyamaka Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there and being smug because you knew it was neither there, nor not there, nor neither, nor both; and though no one knows what this means, it is a great way to win arguments.
Yogācāra Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there; except... [reverb] the room is your mind [/reverb].
Zen Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there by staring at the wall until the cat comes to you.
Tantric Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there; but instead of looking you try to become the cat by imagining that you are the cat. oṃ āḥ hūṃ caṭ svāhā.
Triratna Buddhism is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there, only to discover there's an elephant in the room instead.
... incidentally...
Advaita Vedanta is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there and concluding that you are the cat.
