How do Taoists feel about having pets?

[shanlung]

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

He certainly did love that beach !

 

My wife is in the Sultanate of Oman right now. She flew there about a week ago and will be back in Doha , Qatar tomorrow noon.

 

That was the second time she was there ever since we left Oman in Sep 2010.

 

 

I hear of them of course.

 

 

I could not bring myself to see the photos she took the last time she was there.

You understand that I probably will not see the photos she took this time either.

 

The cost of getting what my beasties and birdies to do what they did for me was heavy.

My heart paid the price, even to now.

 

Taoistic Idiot

 

aka

 

Shanlung

山 龍

 

 

http://shanlung.com/

[fizix]

Pets are just for humans to be distracted from the fact that they themselves are pets (slave cattle) to extra-dimensional energy vampire beings, and originally just mutts to entertain us as we were the mutts to our ancient alien overlords who genetically engineered us from monkeys for their occult purposes, before they inexplicably abandoned us on this planet. We await your inevitable return and enslavement nephilim lords, December come will be very interesting indeed... our Qi is our only hope.

 

May the Force be with you.

Edited September 14, 2012 by fizix

[Mokona]

See, and drugs killed that kid in the General topics thread. Damnit fizix, read that post!!!

[taoareyou]

We have three cats that live with us. Two were rescued from a shelter, and one was given to us as a kitten by a friend who could not care for a litter of cats. They are all domesticated cats. Their natural environment is with people. Growing up, I had a dog, a domesticated dog. Their natural environment is with people. Dogs have had a symbiotic relationship with humans for tens of thousands of years. In facts, dogs have worked so close with people for so long, they actually are more in "tune" with people than any other animal. Rather than going into the details here, if you are interested, watch Dogs Decoded.

 

Living with a domesticated pet, having a loving relationship with an animal is often very healthy for all involved. The important thing to me, is where you find that pet. I am personally against pet stores because more often than not, these are animals treated like products. I wish I could find healthy happy homes for them, but in doing so I would just create an increased demand and the cycle escalates.

 

Good places to get pets are from small family owned breeders. The ones that probably check you out more than you check them out. Who won't sell to just anyone with a credit card because they love their animals. Of course shelters are also a great place to get pets. One of our shelter cats is blind in one eye due to early neglect. We've had him for 14 years now. It's hard to imagine not having him around. You don't need a special breed with papers spouting the purity of its lineage. It doesn't need to have the perfect form or the perfect background. Go to a local shelter and visit with the animals there. If you connect with one, take it home with you, love it and accept it as part of your family.

 

Exotic, non-domesticated pets, in my opinion, should be avoided. That python would be better off not living in a glass aquarium. That parrot would be better off flying free. A rule of thumb is, if it has to live in a cage, you don't need it as a pet. There are always some exceptions. I doubt fish really notice a difference. I've seen some pretty happy looking hamsters with elaborate habitats connected by fun tunnels and all sorts of exercise wheels and other things they certainly seem to enjoy. Watching them I sorta wish I could play in their homes.

 

Finally, don't bring a pet into the wrong kind of home or a habitat too small for it. If you don't have a big, safe yard, don't get a big dog. Having a dog chained to a post or in a small pen for most of its life is very bad. If you have small children in the home, it may not be suitable for a cat.

 

A little common sense goes a long way when preparing to share your life with an animal. Many animals, especially domestic cats and dogs, need affection and will certainly return it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

[Walker]

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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 ...

 

 

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.

 

All very well and good.

 

My answer represents what I have observed of, read of, and been told of by lineage-holding, traditionally trained Daoists, people whose practices have been passed down for numerous centuries. I offer no opinion either way as to the good or bad of owning pets; I am only offering what I know of traditional Daoism to the discussion.

 

Some answers seem to represent the views of people who feel a very strong affinity for what they know of Daoism, but I strongly suspect that they do not represent traditional teachings passed master to disciple, as Daoism has always been transmitted over the centuries.

 

Imagining that some of these answers answers address the question, "how do Daoists feel about owning pets," is frankly a bit like getting advice on how to keep kosher from self-identifying "Jews" who have in fact not had bar mitzvahs, have not been educated by rabbis, who do not go to synagogue, and who do not actually keep kosher themselves!

 

Of course, one who enjoys discussion can find plenty of arguable benefits in keeping strict kosher, as well as many arguable benefits in not keeping strict kosher. But things get very confusing when people who have not been formally trained as Jews start saying that they know what kosher is just because they feel a strong enough affinity for the religion to call themselves Jews,and not because they have actually studied and/or practiced the traditional strictures of Judaism.

 

Strange that one finds in the world so many self-inducted Daoists, but few self-inducted Jews...

 

At any rate, for those with a strong interest in practicing Daoism, it is worth approaching the strictures with an open mind. They are generally much more for the benefit of the practitioner than is always obvious when we first hear them.

 

And yes, tradition aside, it is impossible to pin down a central "dogma" of Daoism. Who knows, somewhere out there there might be a traditionally-trained Daoist with a house full of pets!