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23 May 2020

Black Cats in Dark Rooms

Found this analogy... I love these...

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.

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