Cats and Dogs

It's been raining off and on today - and when it was raining, it was raining cats and dogs. Which got me thinking. About cats and dogs.

I used to have cats myself. One got ill. And ended up in animal hospital. And didn't get better. I had to make a decision - keep paying the high costs of the hospital in hopes that he might recover or put the poor dear to sleep. I let my partner make the decision. We put the cat to sleep and paid off the debt that had racked up in the first couple weeks of care.

I love animals. I grew up with horses, chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats. We also had at one time hamsters, fish, parakeets and hermit crabs. But one thing I learned through all of this is that their life span is shorter than ours. They come and go. And sometimes they go sooner than you would expect. And I have suffered sadness as a result.

At the time, I didn't realize I had a choice. People get so attached to their pets. And when the pet dies or gets ill it creates a terrible sadness for them. It's as if they are creating, fostering and nurturing their eventual great sadness just by getting a pet in the first place. But it doesn't have to be that way. Instead of getting attached to the animal, remain loving yet detached. In other words, know that the animal is with you for a short time and that they could leave at any moment. If I had seen my pets in this way, then I would have suffered less and enjoyed them more. Doesn't that make better sense?

I can see this clearly now with pets (I'm not sure if any other animal lovers can - I hope so), but we can also apply this principle to everything. Wealth (if you have it) is only here temporarily - use it wisely now. Family and friends could go any time - enjoy your moments with them now. My house might not be standing tomorrow - enjoy the warmth and comfort now.

Walking in the rain (which was like cats and dogs) I felt so fortunate that at this very moment, I have a daughter and she is in a good school, and I have a house to sleep in, and food in the fridge, and a family, etc. Today, this very moment, I have so many blessings. And I am appreciative. Tomorrow, I may have none of these things, but I will have had them. And that is precious.

It is a myth to believe I own anything. I don't. It can all be gone tomorrow. But what I do have is my self (the soul), my place in the family of souls and my relationship with the Supreme Soul (God). Everything else is just icing on the cake. And right now it's beautiful.


Thank you for reading. For more information on Raja Yoga philosophy see www.bkwsu.org.