teachers

"Path of Least Resistance

In India, I was living in a little hut, about six feet by seven feet. It had a canvas flap instead of a door. I was sitting on my bed meditating, and a cat wandered in and plopped down on my lap. I took the cat and tossed it out the door. Ten seconds later it was back on my lap. We got into a sort of dance, this cat and I. I would toss it out, and it would come back. I tossed it out because I was trying to meditate, to get enlightened. But the cat kept returning. I was getting more and more irritated, more and more annoyed with the persistence of the cat. Finally, after about a half-hour of this coming in and tossing out, I had to surrender. There was nothing else to do. There was no way to block off the door. I sat there, the cat came back in, and it got on my lap. But I did not do anything. I just let go. Thirty seconds later the cat got up and walked out. So you see, our teachers come in many forms."


-- Joseph Goldstein in Transforming the Mind, Healing the World
from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book

How many times have I done something similar to this! Ye Gads, everything and everybody used to conspire against me finding true enlightenment. Now I just sit and if doggy face chooses to join me that's great!
Reminds me of something I was told my Grandmother said. Seems it was really storming on their farm in Ireland. There was concern over the pigs maybe getting sick or dying, it was that fierce. So, they decided to bring the pigs in the house. The kids whined, "But what about the smell?" Grandmother is reported to have said, "Don't worry - the pigs'll get used to it."

Do what ya gotta do!
Lora