A mouse

[Jundo]

Hi,

My take of this Koan is that it is a compassion action Koan. Very easy. It does not ask for a word or an abstraction. It asks for an action, a Bodhisattva action. The action is snatch the cat before it is cut. Thats it. Just like chop wood and fetch water for the benefit of others. Looking for a cute turning zen turning word kills the cat.

My 2 cents.

Gassho, Jishin, ST

Nice!

[Myosha]

Nice!

Hello,

Training corporates, once began a session holding a twenty dollar US (19EUR, 2271YEN) bill asking, "Would anyone like to have this?

Whomever got out of their chair and took the twenty got it.


Gassho
Myosha
sat today

[Diarmuid1]

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

[Hoko]

Hello,

Animals can be amazing teachers if we let them! How we feel about nature is revealing; do we feel bad for the prey or do we feel sympathy for the predator? When watching a documentary do we cheer for the deer that escapes the leopard? Or do we feel sorry for the cat that now has to go away hungry? Can we do both? What characteristics do we share with our four legged friends? How do we differ?

I try to practice being grateful for those opportunies to rise above my "beastly nature" when they crop up. When I feel the urge to be angry or hurtful I can either indulge it or reject it. Suffering opens the gateway to renunciation and vow. "That guy pissed me off; I want to punch him in the nose!" But I can deal with that feeling skillfully; I can try & practice with it. When negative emotions arise (greed, anger and ignorance) we can often choose to deal with them constructively. Humans get the chance to make choices that animals don't. Maybe that's why God made us omnivores? 😁

Attention! Nansen addressed the assembly, saying, "All Buddhas of the Three Times don't know of it, but cats and cows know of it."

What do they know that we don't? Should we be more like cats and cows or less?

When Nansen asked Daowu "Where knowledge doesn't reach, how can you take it as source?" Daowu said "just don't speak of it."
Nansen replied "Clearly, if you speak of it you'll grow horns on your head."
Later Nansen asked Daowo "how do you put this into practice?" and Daowu got up and went into the zendo to sit.

I think Titus is trying to teach you how not to "grow horns on your head"! How you feel about his mouse maulings opens up an opportunity to learn. Why do cats kill mice? Should you try and stop it? I don't know! How do we practice with this not knowing?

So I guess we can ponder why cats are cats and cows are cows and why cats eat mice and cows eat grass but when our knowledge fails us insight begins and all we can do is just sit with this not knowing!

Just my 2 cents. But I'm no zoologist!

Gassho,
Hōkō
#SatToday

PS: This is me doing dentistry on a 600 pound Siberian Tiger named Boris in Louisville, Kentucky.

[Jundo]

Wow

[Sekishi]

Gassho (with hands far away from Boris!),
Sekishi #sat

[Jakuden]

[emoji50]
Deep bows! For the post and the big kitty!
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


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[Kaishin]

There's no conflict between feeling bad for the mouse and happy for the cat at the same time. It is the nature of all creatures to kill, but it is only the nature of humans to also have deep compassion for the suffering.

p.s. my dog recently brought a full-grown hare into the house and put it at my feet. I was horrified, but I did my best to praise him. He was so proud of himself.