Dogs

I saw a great cartoon. It showed a man standing in front of the pearly gates of Heaven. The gates are behind a dais and standing at the dais is a dog in a white robe. The dog is saying to the man, "The joyful, loving, eternally forgiving nature of dogs never tipped you off?" After all dog is just a dyslexic word for God.

I believe that one of the ways for us to live a much more spiritual and mindful life is to use the dog philosophy.

Dogs are friendly with everyone they meet. Dogs wag their tails a lot thus we always know when they are happy. Dogs live through their experiences of scent. Dogs love praise and love to be petted. Praise is such a big thing for humans too; it is the best feedback we could ever have and so we are akin to dogs around praise. Dogs do not believe in being alone. They must have their humans of their pack.

I had a friend that ended up with two Australian sheep dogs. One year at a family reunion she and her husband watched as the two dogs tried to 'herd' the kids. We realize that dogs are absolutely in the present. They do not spend time in their past.

You can feed your dog the same dog food for 10 years. Yet every time you set the bowl of dog food down, that same old dog food, it is as if the dog is seeing it for the very first time. This happens every time. They are so excited about getting their dog food.

Dogs are happy to see you. All one needs is a dog to come home to at the end of the day. The reaction the dog displays when you come to the front door is spectacular. "Oh boy, it's you! You're home;; I am so happy you have come home." This does not matter if you have been gone for ten minutes or eight hours. They are always ready to cuddle at any time in any place.

At one time, I owned two pugs. I was going to have them go to obedience school. But someone told me it doesn't take with pugs. They are so friendly that when they are off leash they will enthusiastically greet each new person they see and suddenly will be miles away before they remember they might have come with someone.

I had a friend who ran in a crowd of about ten couples who all had a couple dogs each. He had property up in the foothills with a fenced in backyard. One year for Easter the couples got together with all the dogs and hid dog treats in the backyard and then let the dogs out. The next year they did it again and the dogs came to expect that special day with expanded enthusiasm.

So this week use the dog approach. See everythiing as brand new; imagine seeing it for the first time. Rediscover the magic in the taste of a fresh, ripe peach with sweet juice. Feel the fur of your favorite pet as you give him/her a pet and realize you are rediscovering a spiritual practice. Be in the here and now and realize that all of your ancestors that came before you have brought you to this moment - and yet you are doing it for the first time. It is your legacy to know you contain the inherent memory of all the past, but all you need to remember is this present moment - It's new dog food every time. What a rush!