How do Taoists feel about having pets?

[Scottk]

Does obtaining a pet (dog, cat, bird, fish, etc.) go against the natural way? If we think in terms of non-interference, then should anyone purchase a pet?

 

I am interested in your thoughts. I am sure their are many great ideas on this subject.

 

I for one am unsure of what I believe right now... I think that if an animal is already sitting in a pet shop locked in a cage all day then perhaps it is best to help that creature by bringing it to your home with love and peace.

 

I would imagine that in a perfect Taoist world animals would all be in their natural habitats living freely as they flourished on their own paths. We do not live in this world though, and one can not simply buy pets and release them into the wilderness in today's society.

 

Alas, it seems we must make due with the time we live in and never wish to be elsewhere. Only to make this world a better, more natural place the right ways.

 

So I propose another question as follow-up. What would be some "right ways" to help bring animals closer to their original habitats, or to combat the somehow acceptable methods of capturing animals to be sold as pets for humans. Is this right or wrong in your opinion?

 

- Scott

[Aetherous]

Dogs are a man's best friend. In Baolin Wu's feng shui book, he speaks of having dog statues as a way of keeping good qi. I don't know about the technicality of owning a dog versus having a statue, but I feel that it's better to have the real thing! They are protectors and very loyal to us.

 

He says something about how cats have a connection to the underworld, and that they aren't the best for being around humans...but they are good for locating evil spirits if you're an exorcist. Or something like that.

 

He also speaks of having pictures of fish of different colors based on the season you were born...or something. It was a pretty cool book, although I can't seem to find it lately.

 

I suggest not getting caught up in philosophical morality. How do you really feel about things? Who cares if one person on earth would find fault with owning a dog (for instance). It's an excellent point that bringing one into a loving home is preferable to it staying in a shelter or pet store. To say that owning a pet is "interfering" is way too uptight, IMO...it is not real virtue, but just mental masturbation.

 

Unless it was like a rare animal that thrived in the wild, and bringing it into the home would make it suffer...oh crap, now I'm philosophising.

[ChiDragon]

To say that owning a pet is "interfering" is way too uptight,

 

Owning a pet is not "interfering". Only when harm was done to the pet is not Wu Wei.

[Scottk]

Owning a pet is not "interfering". Only when harm was done to the pet is not Wu Wei.

 

Okay! Thank you for the clarification. I was only curious if removing animals from their natural habitats was considered interfering in a Taoist perspective.

[ChiDragon]

Okay! Thank you for the clarification. I was only curious if removing animals from their natural habitats was considered interfering in a Taoist perspective.

 

You welcome...!!!

 

I thought that is what you had in mind.

Yes, from a Taoist perspective, it was considered to be interfering with the natural habutats of the animals.

[Brian]

I asked my dog and he says he is really glad we rescued him from the no-kill shelter. He had been there for a long time (his third time there, actually). He says a queen-sized bed is much closer to his natural habitat than a steel cage on a concrete slab.

 

He also said he was very sorry for all his bad behavior but confessed that it would probably continue.

 

He closed by reminding me that he'd like for me to pick up some fresh blueberries on my way home (he eats strawberries right off the plant but we don't have blueberries in the yard, and those are two of his favorites...)

[ChiDragon]

In that case, be sure that no one will interfere with its present natural habitat.

[Guest RBSA]

Wild animals are extremely intelligent is my opinion .

[Melanie]

I asked my dog and he says he is really glad we rescued him from the no-kill shelter. He had been there for a long time (his third time there, actually). He says a queen-sized bed is much closer to his natural habitat than a steel cage on a concrete slab.

 

He also said he was very sorry for all his bad behavior but confessed that it would probably continue.

 

He closed by reminding me that he'd like for me to pick up some fresh blueberries on my way home (he eats strawberries right off the plant but we don't have blueberries in the yard, and those are two of his favorites...)

 

I asked Wujing tortoise he said he enjoys the serenity, warmth and food I offer him its much better then the pet store he was bred in, it gives him time to meditate and enjoy being, even if its just in a wooden habitat most of the time, he just requests that we keep the f***'n cat out of his habitat and as always fresh romaine lettuce.

 

I asked Annaleas the kitten, when I could get her calmed down enough to ask her a question, she said, what's outside? Is that the place where it rains, I don't like the rain, what was that noise? Run!

That's all I could get out of her.

[eye_of_the_storm]

What isn't the Way?

[The Observer]

In reply to the OP, I believe that having pets doesn't go against the way. If I'm not mistaken even ants engage in a form of domestication in which they farm a certain other insect that produces a milk like substance that serves as sustenance for the ant colony. In any case just by existing we are engaging in a form of interference so pursuing "non-interference" is a difficult, if not impossible, endeavor.

 

Following the Way is more akin to harmonizing and co-creating with nature than being totally passive. I mean sometimes you literally have to do nothing, but sometimes you have to take action.

 

Just some humble thoughts from a fellow walker of the Way

[Walker]

I know not everybody will like this response, but my experience is that traditionally-trained Daoists generally counsel against having pets. My teacher does; I have seen a widely-respected monk on Wudang advise against owning pets in most circumstances; and I believe that Master Ni Huaching includes not owning pets in a list of advised practices for cultivators, perhaps in 5,000 Years of Wisdom. I have also never encountered pets being raised in Daoist temples. A primary reason is for health, both energetic, and in terms of the microscopic filth animals carry on their bodies, which is not healthy for humans. Additionally, the worlds of humans and animals are separate in Daoism (yes, yes, with the caveat that there is no real separation, of course), and I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

[ChiDragon]

Walker....

You are a Taoist. At least your learning was in my Tao Te Ching....

[Cheshire Cat]

I believe that from a taoist perspective there is nothing wrong.

 

From the human perspective, there is nothing wrong in owning pets.

 

Although, there are different kind of pets: dogs are suited for living with humans as companions, they haven't a natural habitat as the wolves. They aren't wild animals and they have to struggle a bit to live in the wild... where the Tao will probably kill them in a short time.

 

All the other animals (except sheep, etc...) are naturally wild and can perfectly live in a natural environment. When they live in your home, they die a little bit: home-cats for example, are condemned to never grow... they are children until the time of death and you are their mother.

 

Compassionate sages usually prefer to cuts bond between civilized men and wild animals because wild beasts have more power than pets.

[shanlung]

I am a Taoist, or at least, I think I am a Taoist.

 

I never have pets. I do have companions whether they have feathers or hair.

 

My parrot joined me outdoors and fly freely and come back freely.

 

 

 

 

 

My cat will follow me into the ocean when I call out. And they follow at my heels when we walked up the mountains. I did not

have to use leashed and harness on my cats.

 

Peope in the cat world and parrot world wondered how I trained them.

 

They never understood that I regarded myself as the parrot and cat trainee. They were the trainers and I merely their student.

 

My basic fundamental rules with my birdies and beasties

 

Tinkerbell Legacy - - Rant 03 (a flighted parrot mentality) & Understanding the mind of your grey

 

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2187.html

 

 

My requests to them as a friend was always done with split second timing. I laughed when I saw humans who think they are trainers begging and shouting for minutes at their birds what my will respond in split second with military precision.

 

Warmest regards

 

Shanlung

http://shanlung.com/

aka

 

Idiotic Taoist

[sasblamthanb]

Deep in the eyes of the ‘loving’ dog is deep in the eyes of the ‘living’ dao …

 

 

... traditionally-trained Daoists generally counsel against having pets. My teacher does; I have seen a widely-respected monk on Wudang advise against owning pets in most circumstances; and I believe that Master Ni Huaching includes not owning pets in a list of advised practices for cultivators, perhaps in 5,000 Years of Wisdom. I have also never encountered pets being raised in Daoist temples. A primary reason is for health, both energetic, and in terms of the microscopic filth animals carry on their bodies, which is not healthy for humans. Additionally, the worlds of humans and animals are separate in Daoism (yes, yes, with the caveat that there is no real separation, of course), and I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

 

I suspect it is practical, not Taoist(, energic, or whatever) reasons for this historically. The old monastery ‘masters’ probably eschewed dogs in house because they had enough trouble keeping the stupid humans/' sht cleaned up off the floors… plus Chinese dogs ( like Chows, etc. ) aren’t exactly the most warm hearted bunch on the planet

 

 

A primary reason is for health, both energetic, and in terms of the microscopic filth animals carry on their bodies, which is not healthy for humans. Additionally, the worlds of humans and animals are separate in Daoism (yes, yes, with the caveat that there is no real separation, of course), and I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

The health benefits of personally compatible pets far far far outweigh any health risks.... btw, the planet is covered in "microscopic filth" - avoidance won't help ...

 

... I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

Lots, if not most, practices would indicate the practitioner create some space for practice away from "mingling" with any and all distractions, animate or inanimate ... so yes, the dog would have to be somewhere besides trying to lick his face during practice. But, in day to day, living, walking practices, a dog can teach as well as a high level master...

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that churches will take chips in the offering plates in Las Vegas?

… and who take up the offerings?

The chip monks.

[Basher]

Did you know that churches will take chips in the offering plates in Las Vegas?

… and who take up the offerings?

The chip monks.

 

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear ....

 

Love my Dogs, hate your Jokes !!

[Stosh]

The question of appropriateness is best answered by asking the question

if the pets like having the Taoist.

Stosh

[GrandmasterP]

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.All our pets are Taoists.The cat's a reincarnated Dragon Gate priest (and does not let us forget that fact). Edited September 12, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[mrtiger]

I had a cat dilemma in Greece recently. If you've ever been to any of the Greek Islands you'll probably know that semi-wild domestic cats are pretty much everywhere you look.

 

For example if you sit down at a restaurant seemingly in the middle of nowhere it's likely that one or more cats will appear to beg for food.

 

Apparently they beg for food in the summer and in the winter they retreat to the forests to try and catch whatever is there.

 

It seems strange to me coming from the UK as stray cats are very much the exception and we have a lot of different organisations to deal with them.

 

Whilst I was on the island I started feeding some cats which had been showing up at our cottage.

 

Unfortunately one of them was ill - it has an enflamed anus and had a really bad diarrhoea problem. I called the only cat charity on the island (set up by a Dutch couple) who couldn't help and said the only thing I could do would be to take it to the vet in the capital.

 

Unfortunately we discovered the cat's illness on our penultimate day and we wouldn't have been able to administer an medication. Further to that we didn't know if it did have an owner and it being a nervous thing, would we be traumatising it even more putting it in a box? The cat charity also told us that there were more cats than people on the island and just didn't seem to concerned with this one,

 

In the end we decided to leave it be. It was a really really tough decision but it just didn't make any sense to traumatise the cat. We left her to her fate I guess.

[GrandmasterP]

Sometimes that's all you can do but the pussy enjoyed your care whilst you were there to give it. Merit all round.

Greek T Shirt slogan... 'My parents went to Athens. And brought me back a cat'.

[mrtiger]

Sometimes that's all you can do but the pussy enjoyed your care whilst you were there to give it. Merit all round.

Greek T Shirt slogan... 'My parents went to Athens. And brought me back a cat'.

 

Ha, I was very tempted to bring a cat home.

 

I don't want to make excuses but knowing the personalities of my existing two cats (one of whom was a pregnant stray, the other is one of her sons) they wouldn't be happy. Not to mention pet passports etc. And it really is a drop in the ocean.

 

Plus they seem to have fun in the sun and they live differently, often in big groups.

 

Perhaps I should be viewing the Greek cats more as wild animals which are a bit different to the domestic pets we have in the UK

[shanlung]

 

Getting unsolicited advise how to drive and where to go from Dommie when we were in the Sultanate of Oman

 

 

 

 

Escorted by Dommie along mountains of Oman, with Riamfada on shoulder

 

Closing this chapter//Buwah off Harban with Dommie// Beautiful Wadi Qurai

 

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/108103.html

 

 

 

 

 

Dommie coming into the ocean tide pools when I called.

 

 

9-11//Dommie final visit to ocean Ramadan 2010 & unsheduled Riamfada free flight//The Day Approaches

 

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/119935.html

 

As said, I do not have pets.

 

I have companions.

 

The Idiotic Taoist

 

aka

 

Shanlung

 

http://shanlung.com/

[GrandmasterP]

Ha, I was very tempted to bring a cat home.

 

I don't want to make excuses but knowing the personalities of my existing two cats (one of whom was a pregnant stray, the other is one of her sons) they wouldn't be happy. Not to mention pet passports etc. And it really is a drop in the ocean.

 

Plus they seem to have fun in the sun and they live differently, often in big groups.

 

Perhaps I should be viewing the Greek cats more as wild animals which are a bit different to the domestic pets we have in the UK

.............................................

Yep, could have been a real pussy bit of a downer exchanging Greek sunshine for our less than balmy English weather.

[GrandmasterP]

 

Getting unsolicited advise how to drive and where to go from Dommie when we were in the Sultanate of Oman

 

 

 

 

Escorted by Dommie along mountains of Oman, with Riamfada on shoulder

 

Closing this chapter//Buwah off Harban with Dommie// Beautiful Wadi Qurai

 

http://shanlung.live...com/108103.html

 

 

 

 

 

Dommie coming into the ocean tide pools when I called.

 

 

9-11//Dommie final visit to ocean Ramadan 2010 & unsheduled Riamfada free flight//The Day Approaches

 

http://shanlung.live...com/119935.html

 

As said, I do not have pets.

 

I have companions.

 

The Idiotic Taoist

 

aka

 

Shanlung

 

http://shanlung.com/

............................................................

Do you get word on how Dommie is faring these days Shanlung?

He certainly did love that beach !