--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > When it comes to theories -- either about the "correctness" > of one's cherished ideas or concepts or the degree to > which one "holds the high ground" or "owns" one's opponents > in a discussion about such things, I can think of no better > metaphor than the one I just witnessed on my morning > walk with my dogs. > > Every so often they'll feel the need to stop, lift a leg, > and deposit their version of "Here I make my stand...this > is MY territory, and MY version of The Theory Of Everything" > on a bush or lamppost or bicycle or auto tire. They have > such a pleased expression on their faces as they do this, > similar to the expressions one imagines on the faces of > FFLers as they deposit *their* cherished theories on the > rest of us. One also senses a feeling of "completion," as > if by peeing on that spot they've established their > dominance FOREVER. > > But then I sit on a park bench and watch as other dogs > come by, walking their owners. Each successive dog sniffs > the air, senses a challenge to *their* view of Reality > And How It Works, and then walks over and sniffs the > actual pee-theory, "reading doggie email" as it were. > Nine times out of ten the new dogs *disagree* with the > first pee-theory, or with its claim of dominance, and > insist on presenting their own. So they lift their legs or > squat and present a counter-theory. The looks on their > faces as they do this indicate that they *also* feel as > if the discussion is now OVER, since they have presented > the Ultimate Counter-Argument, and that nothing any other > dog could...uh...express on the subject could possibly > override their deposit of eternal wisdom. > > And so it goes. Each successive presentation of Unified > Pee Theory is presented as if it's the Last Possible > Word On The Subject, and "proves" the canine theory- > holder supreme and unchallengeable. And each proves just > as ephemeral as the last one. Sometimes dogs with Really > Big Egos see other dogs daring to dispute their pee- > theories with an "overspray," and feel compelled to go > back to the same bush to reiterate their points, > literally lifting their legs on those who dare to > challenge them, and trying once more to establish > dominance. > > And none of it lasts any longer than the next rainstorm. > > :-)
Extending my metaphor even further, to cover the bases of all the curious leg-lifting we see on Fairfield Life, I find myself wondering about those whose ideas are so poverty-stricken that they never present any of their own. Such people don't seem to be able to form their own grand theories, and are forced to borrow or steal them from others, and then present them as if they were superior to all others. I would suggest that folks who can never seem to come up with any spiritual theories other than the ones they read in books (written by other people) or heard from spiritual teachers (by definition, "other people") fall into this category. We never seen them coming up with any original ideas, only borrowed ones. Given my original doggie-pee metaphor, does that make them dogs who have to borrow pee from other dogs to make their points and try to establish their territorial dominance? :-) Can't you just imagine Robin running around on the end of his leash carrying little bottles of Aquinus pee and Nagel pee, pouring them on bushes and declaring with a loud woof, "I rule!" :-) :-) :-)
