The Buddha Said ...

"For him who has no greed or desire (or things), there will be no suffering.  Those, I declare, are griefless, without passion and free from despair."

(From the book "The Golden Words of the Buddha") 

Cat Wisdom

 

The Brown Cat - Pt. 2

Story told by Ning

It took me some time to get over Peony's death and for something like two weeks, I didn't go to the Long Tails Club.  Somehow all that merrymaking and drinking seemed now a complete waste of time.  I decided to join a group of cat volunteers who were going round town helping stray cats, finding them homes and taking them to the vet if they were sick or injured.  I felt very gratified being able to do this work and of course, when I told Da, he was very pleased and encouraged me to continue.

On one of those days, a new cat by the name of Milo joined us and I was surprised to hear that he was looking for me.  

"Are you the one called Ning?  Look, I've got a message for you."

"A message?" I asked, surprised.  He handed me a small envelope and said he was told by a brown cat to give it to me.

"I didn't ask her name," said Milo. "But after giving me that envelope, she was killed the very next day by a gang of fierce dogs."

OMG, I thought to myself, it must have been Peony!

"What ... what else did she say?"  I asked, my heart beginning to beat fast.

"Oh nothing much.  She was kinda quiet and sad, and I felt quite sorry for her because she had all kinds of wounds on her body.  But she did say she would be very grateful if you did what she requested in the envelope.  Did you know her?"

I hesitated, but decided not to say anything.  

"Thanks, Milo," I said and  walked quickly away.  I headed to the river so that I could open the envelope in private.

There was a small note inside the envelope and a girl's pearl bracelet.  I opened the note with trembling paws and it read, "Dear Ning, when you read this, I shall be dead.  Can you do one last favour for me?  Please take the bracelet and give it to the woman who lives in the next village.  You should have no problem finding her, they all call her "Kitty".  Thank you, Ning for your love and kindness. I shall never forget you. Peony."

Da used to say I have a heart soft as butter under my tough exterior.  After reading that note, tears streamed down my face and it took me some time before I got hold of myself.  I decided to go to the village immediately.  It wasn't all that far off and I knew a few short cuts.

When I arrived there, it was almost sunset.  With the help of the villagers, I managed to find Kitty's home.  It was a small one storey building of concrete and was quite run down with cracked walls overgrown with creepers and an untidy garden.  I knocked on the door and it was sometime before it slowly creaked upon.  I found myself looking at an old lady in her sixties with long white hair and a face lined with wrinkles.

She looked at me, then said in a raspy voice, "What do you want?"

I cleared my throat, then said, "Madam Kitty, I have something for you" and held up the envelope containing the bracelet.  She looked at it suspiciously, then took it and looked inside.

I didn't expect what happened next.  She fell into a swoon and fortunately someone who was passing by helped to carry her into her house.  Whilst waiting for her to recover, I looked around and saw that the house was filled with dozens of pictures of cats and in one corner was a heap of cat bowls and dishes, blankets and cushions.  They looked like they had been there for years and were covered in dust and grime.  It didn't take me long to put two and two together.  This old woman is Peony's mother!

When Kitty came to, she burst into a flood of tears, clutching the bracelet I had given her.   

"Where....where did you get this?" she sobbed.  Before I could say anything, she gabbled on.  "All these years, I've been living with this terrible guilt.  I am a murderer, I killed my own daughter, do you know that?  I was so angry that day when she killed one of my cats that I dragged her to the forest and left her there!  It was only after two days that I realised what I had done, I ran back to the forest but I couldn't find her.  I gave her up for dead and in my despair, I decided to give away all my cats for they were the cause of her death and I couldn't bear to live with them any more.  These last few years had been sheer hell. That pearl bracelet you found...I gave it to her on her last birthday and she was so happy with it.  God forgive me for what I have done ...."  and she burst into another flood of tears.

It was some time before she calmed down.  I was then able to tell my side of the story, how Peony had been  punished and how she had struggled over the last three years before she died.  Kitty listened wide eyed.  

"Madam, you need not worry about Peony."  I said.  "She has been taken by the angels to heaven where she is very happy now (referring to the dream I had after Peony died.  I hoped Kitty believed in dreams, mentioning it would give her some consolation).

"Really?" she gasped.  "You're not making it all up? 

I shook my head.

"I hope she has forgiven me," she whispered.

"I'm sure she has, otherwise she would not have sent me with the bracelet.  It was her way to tell you that she is sorry for what she had done and still remembers and loves you." 

It was already getting late and I said I would have to leave as it was a long journey home.  Kitty then insisted that I stayed the night with her and that I could go back in the morning.  As it was, that one day stretched into three days.  She treated me like I was her own child, sad and lonely as she was, and was most reluctant to let me go home.

Finally, on the day of my departure, I once again assured her not to worry any more about Peony and promised to visit her whenever I could.

On the way home I ran into Milo.  

"Hey, Ning, so you did your job?"

I nodded.  "Mission accomplished," I said.

It wasn't a happy mission but at least I've freed one soul from torment and helped her be at peace for the rest of her life.

The Buddha Said ...

 

"Though one may live a hundred years with no true insight and self control, yet better indeed is a life of one day for a man who meditates in wisdom."

(From the book "The Golden Words of the Buddha")

Cat Wisdom

 

Cat Wisdom

 

The Spooks are Back!

It's that time of year again - the Hungry Ghost month - when the gates of Hell are opened and the spooks (according to local belief) are let loose to wander freely on earth!  Some elderly humans say that the festival has long been misinterpreted and is actually a time for remembrance of their departed loved ones and never meant to be a time for ghosts, fear and superstition.  Whatever it is, when you're living in a temple with a columbarium, you just can't help feeling a little nervous, to say the least!  But I'm glad I have my good pals,  HD and PH and they have assured me that they will protect me from any of their naughty or mischievous friends!  So far, so good and I have been able to sleep peacefully every night!  Well, there's still some three weeks to go and I can't wait for them to be over! 

The Brown Cat

 

Story told by Ning

I woke up cold and shivering.  Where was I?  I could see that it was nearly dawn and the day had not begun yet for the humans.  I was astonished to find myself lying on a bench in what looked like a small park.  My head was reeling and felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on it.  Then I saw to my surprise that I was not alone on the bench.  Beside me was a thin, scrawny brown cat.  She was still sleeping until  an early riser walked briskly by and woke her up.

"Oh, I see you're awake," she said, looking at me.

"Hey - what - I mean - how did I get here?  And who are you?"  I asked, dazed.

She smiled slightly, then said, "You were very drunk last night and got into a brawl with a few thugs.  They beat you up and left you by the roadside.  I happened to be passing by and with the help of a kind human, we carried you to this place."

"Oh ... is that so....well, thanks...." 

"You're going to be okay.  No broken bones, just bruises. So I shall be on my way now.  Make sure you don't get yourself in trouble again."

With that, she slipped off the bench and walked quickly away.

"Hey, wait!  I don't even know your name ...."  I cried but she didn't hear me and was soon lost to sight.

I sat for a while on the bench nursing my wounds.  Shit, wait till I get my hands on those bloody blokes!  I got up and staggered back to my hideout.  There was nothing to eat except a few crumbs of bread.  Well, I had to make do with what I got.  I ate the bread, then lay down to sleep.

I didn't know how long I slept but when I woke up, I found to my surprise a packet of food at my doorstep - biscuits and some milk.  Wow, just what I needed!  I was so hungry that I gobbled it all down at once, at the same time wondering who could have left me that food.  Definitely not Da nor Ah Hoe.  They wouldn't have known what had happened to me.

"Thanks, Good Samaritan," I said out loud.  I decided to stay in for the rest of the day to recover.  

Strange to say, I could not get that brown cat out of my mind.  She wasn't attractive or even pretty, in fact she was quite plain looking with a sad little face and dull brown fur.  I had noticed that she had wounds all over her body and walked with a limp, maybe due to some accident but I could see that she was warm hearted and cared about others, quite different from all those vain and conceited felines at the Club.  Behind that sad face there probably lies a sad tale, I thought to myself. I resolved to know her better and help her if I can.

  I also suspected that she must have secretly followed me back to my place and was the one who brought me the food, knowing that I would need it.

So as soon as I felt better, I searched for her one morning in the streets and alleyways of the village but without success.  Those I asked said they had not seen a brown cat anywhere. 

Disappointed, I returned to my hideout.  Then all of a sudden, she appeared. 

"Were you looking for me?" she asked.

"Well, yes," I said, jumping up in surprise.  "I didn't get a chance to thank you properly for helping me and also for the food.  It was you who brought it, wasn't it?"

She nodded and said, "No need for thanks.  I am glad to have helped."

She turned and would have walked away if I hadn't stopped her.

"Wait!  I got some food from the village, why don't you share it with me?"

She hesitated.  I could see she was hungry but didn't want to say so.  Without waiting for an answer, I scooped some food on a dish and offered it to her.  She looked at it, then hungrily started eating.

Later I learnt that her name was Peony (a flower that symbolises wealth and beauty).  I told her about Head Nun and her temple, about Da, Ah Hoe and Mi Mi.  She listened quietly but made no comment.  I was  getting really curious about her and wondered why she didn't want to tell me anything about herself.

"Peony," I began.  "I don't mean to be a busybody but I would very much like to be your friend.  I can see from your injuries that you have been through a hard time.  If you need help, all you have to do is to ask me."

I saw her eyes mist a little, then she said softly, "Thanks, Ning but I haven't got much time left..."

"What?" I asked, startled.  "Why? Are you sick or something?"

Slowly the whole story came out....

"You see, in my previous birth, I was a young girl living with my mother.  She loved cats and had over 20 of them in our house.  But I hated them because they kept climbing over me,  made me sneeze and left their fur all over my clothes.  I used to beat them, starve them, and even strangled a few of them.  When my mother found out, she was so furious that she dragged me to the forest and left me there.  I was scared and started crying for help, then suddenly a voice boomed from above and it said to me, "You wicked, wicked girl!  How  dare you cry for help!  You have been so cruel to those innocent cats in your house, you deserve to be abandoned by your family and severely punished."  And before I knew it, I had changed into a cat!"

"Oh no!" I gasped, shocked.  "Then what happened?"

"The voice, whoever it was, said that I would be in a cat's body for the next three years and that I would suffer the same fate as those cats I tortured.  I would be kicked, beaten, thrashed and endure all kinds of abuse.  At the end of the three years, I would be caught and killed by a gang of dogs. I don't know how I managed to survive this far but it's been nearly three years now and the end is near ...only a few days left...."

"No!" I cried, horrified.  "I can't let that happen to you!  I will protect you, you can stay here with me where you'll be safe!"

Peony shook her head. "No one can save me from this karma even though I have long repented.  They will find me even if I hide here.  I have to pay for my sins and I deserve what is coming to me.  I can only hope that God will be merciful and forgive me when I die."

She got up and said, "Goodbye, Ning.  I hope we can meet again sometime somewhere...." and before I could stop her, she had disappeared down the road.

I didn't know what to do after she had gone.  I just couldn't leave things like that and let her die.  Then I thought of Da.  I ran as fast as I could to the temple and found him in the garden meditating.  

"Da,"  I gasped.  "You've got to help Peony!" and I poured out the whole story to him.  He thought for a while, then said, "I'm sorry, Ning.  Karma is something you can't mess with.  I can only pray for her to attain a better rebirth."

Crestfallen, I returned to my hideout.  For the next few days, I scoured the village and even along the river hoping to find Peony and save her but failed.  Then one morning, as I walked into the village, I saw the street sweeper pick up something from the side of the road and put it into his basket.  When he saw me, he said, "Hey, Ning, one of your friends was attacked by the dogs last night. I just put her in my basket."

I froze in my tracks.  "May ... may I see her?"  I stammered, my heart beating frantically.

It was Peony.  

I told the man that I wanted to bury her and he said go ahead. Later, I sat for a while by the river, looking at the rising sun. 

 "It's all over, Peony."  I whispered, brushing a tear aside. "You're free now.  Be happy.  I know we're going to meet again some day, until then rest in peace."

That night I had a dream of Peony.  I saw her frolicking happily in a field of flowers, then suddenly she changed from a cat into a young girl and a group of angels came and took her away.  They soared high up into the sky, then disappeared.  I knew then that she had been forgiven and would be forever safe and happy in the heavenly realms.

The Buddha Said ...

 

"Let your old age be childlike and your childhood like old age; that is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride nor your humility be without wisdom."

(From the book "The Golden Words of the Buddha")

Overcome Anger

Here's another inspiring story for you.... 

Newly-wed Uttara was not very happy in her new household, for although she loved to prepare alms food for the Buddha and his disciples, she was too busy looking after the needs of her new husband to do so. She complained to her father about it and he, feeling sorry for her, sent her some money.

Uttara then asked her husband if she could use it to hire a maidservant who would look after him while she used her own time to prepare alms food for the Buddha and his monks. The husband agreed and a maidservant was employed.

One day, while Uttara was busily preparing food for one of her merit-making ceremonies, her husband happened to pass by the kitchen. Seeing his wife so happily engaged, he thought to himself, “What a foolish little woman! She should be enjoying herself instead of working so hard.” And he smiled at her affectionately.

When the maidservant saw his smile, she forgot that she was only a hired hand, and in a fit of jealousy, took a pot of hot boiling butter from the stove to pour over Uttara.When Uttara realized what the maid was going to do, she made this resolution: “Let the butter scald me only if I bear any ill-will toward my maidservant.”

But ill-will was far from the heart of Uttara. Instead, she felt only loving kind ness and gratitude toward her maid, for Uttara realized that without her, she would not have been able to carry out all of her merit-making activities.

Consequently, the hot butter simply rolled off Uttara’s body like drops of cold water. When Uttara’s attendants realized what the maid had done, they seized her and started hitting her from all sides. Uttara immediately ordered them to stop. The maid then realized that she was in no position to be jealous of Uttara. Feeling ashamed, she asked Uttara for forgiveness.

Later when the Buddha learned what had happened, he praised Uttara for having conquered anger by loving kindness. He further instructed his listeners that abuse should be conquered by non-abuse, selfishness by generosity, and lying by speaking the truth.

Overcome anger through kindness, wickedness through goodness, selfishness through charity, and falsehood through truthfulness.

(From Dhammapada Stories)

With Metta,

Da