The Zen of Cats

I found some notes today on a delightful little book I bought in England years ago: The Power of Meow
by Bernard Gunther about Rumi, his cat.

The following are quotes from this:

I have known three zen masters in my lifetime.  All of them were cats.

Zen is nothing special; just doing one thing at a time.

The power of meow is fully being at this moment, completely present, totally aware of your boundless, real, authentic, cat like nature.

Life is like a cat. It often doesn’t do what you want it to.  It tests, annoys, frustrates, fascinates, exacerbates, and sometimes confuses you. ….

For, life is not your fantasy.  It is what’s ultimately good for you.  Because all in all, life itself is your spiritual teacher, your guruh.

When you learn to deal with what is not ideal, your life will be a good deal easier.

Spirituality is about being fully present (open) in every moment to moment relationship and situation.

If you make a mistake, make it a take, learn from it.  Don’t dwell on it, forgive yourself and move on.  Some people suffer just for the hell of it.

Value what you have as much as what you want.

Rumi, being always present, does not have to achieve anything or get anywhere.  So he can be spontaneous, free, with no obsession, tragic story, or chronic fear.  Life is a constantly unfolding playful mystery.

Every moment, thought, feeling, experience, or situation is an opportunity for greater awareness and transformation.

Who you think you are can’t survive, but who you really are can’t not survive.

True love is being in love with the ultimate source of love.

We are all melting in the fire of Ultimate Love’s intention.

No you

No me

No Rumi

Just we.

This spoke so loudly at the time and once again in the now.  I definitely have spiritual Alzheimer’s.