i had to tie up my cat today?

[mewtwo]

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

[Aaron]

I had to leave my cats with my twin brother when I left my old home. He left them with my other brother who let them outside. Now keep in mind they're indoor cats and they've never been outside since I've had them, well you know what happened, they ran away. So for the last two months I haven't heard anything about them, but today I got an e-mail from my twin brother telling me that one of my other brother's neighbors is taking care of one of them and the other is hiding out down the street at an abandoned home. So Bebe and Boots are alive... honestly a tear came to my eye. Yes I am attached, I admit it.

 

Is that synchronicity, well for me at least, or what?

 

Anyways, yes Mewtwo, point well taken.

 

Aaron

Edited February 17, 2012 by Twinner

[mYTHmAKER]

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

 

One of my favorite stories re ritual and religion

[Taomeow]

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

 

I'm pretty sure the monastery was not taoist.

 

Taoists wouldn't tie a cat; the cat wouldn't be making noise during a taoist meditation (mine meditate with me); if the cat was to regularly make noise during meditation, taoists would infer they were doing something wrong -- to the cat (e.g., having failed to feed her before meditating), to the meditation (cats are qi-sensitive), or to the Yin energies symbolized by the White Tigress. They would probably try to figure out what the problem was instead of resorting to animal abuse. Furthermore, empty ritual with no explanations would not be tolerated by taoist practitioners (unless adopted from other modalities). "It's traditional" is a great excuse for those who don't know "why" it is traditional, but taoists are bent on knowing why. So "it's traditional" is invariably followed by "because" and the historic precedents (exact sources of the tradition, with names and places and the rationale for adopting it) are preserved rather than forgotten.

[Cameron]

I like cats.

 

Unfortunately, they are one of the only things that I am terribly allergic to!

 

Thus, I am a dog person by default. And well, I really love dogs!

[Jetsun]

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

 

Nice story, unfortunately this happens to just about every religion and lineage so I guess we shouldn't take too many of the rituals and teachings we are given too seriously.

[fallintounity]

If only they had kitten mitten's years ago.. It seems that in spite of your lineage, or area of belief, for a past ad infinitum, cats have just been making too much noise..