“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ― Will Rogers
I spend a lot of time with my dogs – Collette and Malibu. This month I am thinking a lot and walking a lot – and it occurs to me that in terms of enlightenment we have no greater teacher than a dog, or in my case, dogs.
Deepak Chopra said, “According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don’t bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous,” (quoted by Carol Lynn Pearson in Consider the Butterfly).
A dog naturally is light-hearted and full of joy. I become light–hearted and full of joy around my dogs. They are the greatest teachers I have ever had in terms of living in the now – Buddha consciousness. To live in the present moment – this is always our struggle. We worry, we live in the past and in the future—what should I have done…? What will I do?
There are times in a day when I realize I have not stepped into the present moment at all, that I have been consumed by what might happen and what did happen, and therefore I am not allowing much to happen – right now.
Enlightenment is living in the present, often in gratitude for that present. Dogs live here all the time. They nap. They run. They sleep. They eat. They love big.
While it is true the GOD is DOG spelled backwards—it is also true the DOG is GOD spelled backwards. People often bring up “God is dog spelled backwards!” to show how small/insignificant God might be—god is dog spelled backwards– ha! But, exactly. Dog is god, god is dog—it makes perfect sense.
Mary Oliver’s new book, Dog Songs is about finding the song of life in the companionship of dogs. Consider these lines from “Mindful” first included in the 2004 collection Why I Wake Early, (and also included in Dog Songs):
Every day
I see or I hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight.
Dogs – every day—see or hear something that kills them with delight. I want to live more like that. I envy dogs. Dogs don’t envy each other however. Dogs just are—right now. Sleeping the best sleep. Eating the best food. Running the best run. Living this moment –now– full tilt.
“Dogs are minor angels, and I don’t mean that facetiously. They love unconditionally, forgive immediately, are the truest of friends, willing to do anything that makes us happy, etcetera. If we attributed some of those qualities to a person we would say they are special. If they had ALL of them, we would call them angelic. But because it’s “only” a dog, we dismiss them as sweet or funny but little more. However when you think about it, what are the things that we most like in another human being? Many times those qualities are seen in our dogs every single day– we’re just so used to them that we pay no attention.”
― Jonathan Carroll
This month I am sharing a few of my favorite dog photos. If it is true that, as Rudolf Otto wrote in The Idea of the Holy, the numinous cannot be described, then the best way to experience the teaching of dog right now is perhaps to be in the presence of photos—unless of course you can go be with an actual dog :).
When we are in the presence of the phenomenological—we are there. When we are no longer there—there is—as Gertrude Stein said “no there there.” Dogs are there. They live in the numinous moment… moment… moment….ahh…moment…aha! There. This moment.
I hope you enjoy these moments with my dogs I am sharing with you.
Walking with gods and dogs… with dogs and gods.
All pictures included are by Marie Cartier.
Marie Cartier is a teacher, poet, writer, healer, artist, and scholar. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of New Hampshire; an MA in English/Poetry from Colorado State University; an MFA in Theatre Arts (Playwriting) from UCLA; an MFA in Film and TV (Screenwriting) from UCLA; and an MFA in Visual Art (Painting/Sculpture) from Claremont Graduate University. She is also a first degree black belt in karate, Shorin-Ryu Shi-Do-Kan Kobayashi style. Ms. Cartier has a Ph.D. in Religion with an emphasis on Women and Religion from Claremont Graduate University.
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don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my little sweethearts mitzi and sarah.
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exactly…i guess my thoughts in this blog really are about more than gratitude…what would i do without dogs? i don’t know. i don’t want to know. dogs are a little bit of heaven here.
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Very nice. Except I think everything you said about dogs applies doubly to cats. I live with two rescued Maine coons named Heisenberg and Schroedinger. Yes, I gave them those names on purpose. I think our furry friends are indeed sparks of divinity. We live with them, we cannot own other souls. Cats are minor angels, too. But, well, you can’t really walk a cat, though I once lived with an Abyssinian named Fred who was semi-leash-able. He was like a St. Bernard or a Lab in cat’s clothing. Cats help keep me sane and grounded. I’m sure people’s dogs do the same things for them.
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i also have two cats right now…luna and neville:-)…
a home is not a home without a cat ( or cats)…one of the greatest companions of my life has been a maine coon cat…betty ( black and white, named after betty boop) that i had for 17 years…
i buried her above pacofic coast highway looking down on the ocean. before her i had another amazing cat celeste who also lived for 17 years…also buried above pch. yes…a cat’s purr is healing and warming and divine. but no…you can’t walk a cat:-)
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Marie, how utterly charming! Just recently a friend was telling me about the part of her zoo career when she “adopted” a turtle. Every afternoon she would go into the turtle enclosure, sit and pet the turtle, and sometimes even talk to it. Soon the turtle took to looking up when she came. Then the turtle stretched its neck when she stopped petting it. She said that over a period of several months she began to feel a true connection with that turtle — not all turtles, just that one. The story sounds a bit fantastical, but I know this woman to be true blue truthful. I just love the story. A connection with a turtle. Wow. There is just so much that we don’t yet know about our other animal friends, the furry, finny, feathered and even the fierce. Thank you for reminding me of this little story.
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…such a great story…yes …all god’s creatures make us whole…
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I saw my tortoise henry for the first time since he went into hibernation, yesterday when I was pruning the roses. It sure did seem like he came out to say hello as he walked to the edge of the flower bed, sunned for a moment, and then went back to his bed.
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my yoga teacher has pet turtles in her back yard…large ones…definitely they know her. yes, i could write this about any animal/being…i really think that…my beta fish for example..we would sing to it and when i came near the bowl it would come up to the top and circle the water swimming…<3
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Marie —
Your post reminds me of my favorite “statement of belief” made at one of our “Coming of Age” services at First Unitarian Society. The boy in question brought his black labrador retriever and lifted her up next to the podium, stating that he would give his dog’s creed, not his. And then he spoke as if he was his dog, saying among other things that she believed that we should all wag our tails more. It was wonderful.
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i love that story…thank you!! and yes, of course…we *should* all wag our tails more (i should have mentioned that as well !)
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You might like this video Marie. http://youtu.be/H17edn_RZoY
It’s called God and Dog. Loved the pictures of your dogs, and this post with comments will probably extend into 2016!
The dog I live with now was born in a puppy mill. They kept her for breeding so every time she came into heat she had puppies who were taken from her too soon to be sold in stores or through ads. For the first 8 and a half years of her life she lived in a barn with 40-50 other dogs, with no socialization or kindness, inadequate food fought for, fear being the predominant thing she learned. She was finally given to a rescue group when she could no longer produce, and from there came to live with me.
It took a few days to get her out of hiding under the car to hiding in the house. She wouldn’t eat and when she took the first bit of kibble she ran to her safe place with it. I have never seen a dog so traumatized. She reminded me of me at one time, with healing still to do. So I understood her fear and mine, and we healed together. She is 14 now, still has “issues”, but so much happier.
It was recommended that I keep a journal for those times of discouragement. Then instead of crying I could look back and see the progress. She started a blog so her rescuers could also see how she was doing. Her pictures (including some when B16 retired and left a job opening) and opinions are at: http://fur-licity.blogspot.com
Barbara – humble servant of the Princess Daisy of Alberni
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i looove that video!!! thank you so much! my dogs are rescues as well…<3
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Beautiful essay, thank you! I love this! I am more grateful for the presence of dogs–who I often refer to as the Alani– in my life than I have ever been able to fully express and in 52 years I have only lived 1 year without a dog in my home (which was he!!). Here’s a little poem I wrote many, many years ago in tribute to four dogs sharing their blessed lives with me at the time. Bountiful Blessings to all the dogs and the humans they teach and help!
Four brown dogs, gambol and play
Joy in their souls, for each brand new day
White snow a contrast to show off their fur
Observing or running, exuberant blur.
Each one at a different point on the wheel
From constant momentum to resting and still
Two endured rough beginnings in life
Two with never a worry or strife.
Youth and innocence shimmering bright
New moon waxing, gaining in light
Youthful adult, agile and quick
Waxing full moon, not quite at peak.
Mature, in his prime, strong and grand
Full moon at the zenith, yet starting to wane.
Wisest of all, rock solid and steady
Waning to dark, for rebirth almost ready.
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What a beautiful poem Daria. Thank you for sharing it.
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….love your post and your poem
..thank you<3
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I thank God often for the beautiful dogs I have been blessed to have in my life. Thank you for sharing your beautiful ones with us.
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…thank you <3
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Beautiful, joyful post. Thank you!
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<3…!
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I have always felt so blessed with all the dogs that have been a part of my life. Thank you for writing about this in such a thoughtful and heart centered way. I love seeing this kind of thinking reflected in others. Makes me feel less alone about how spiritual I feel around my furbaby Chachi. She can always make me smile! Many blessings to you and your beloveds! <3
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many blessings to you and your furbaby :)
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Thank you Marie! To you and yours as well! :)
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