metonymy4u

i was on my way to asking a friend if he was a buddhist.

the problem is that the question is immediately unanswerable.

like the question are you a pragmatist?

you cannot ask someone who challenges the entire metaphysical world of “definitions” to define themselves as one thing or another.

it’s like asking if the sentence “this sentence is a lie” is true or false?

the stimulus has no satisfying response class.

why is this a problem for me?

i often find myself disappointed by my friend’s words.

they seem anti-buddhist.

so i want to ask him if he is a buddhist.

because he certainly reminds me of one.

but then, his words disappoint me.

like an orchestra that starts playing schubert in the middle of an all-beethoven concert.

no.

that’s not right.

it’s more like wagner.

schubert would be a pleasant surprise.

i therefore come to a question that demonstrates the inadequacy of words.

are you a buddhist?