This excerpt from The Radical Practice of Loving Everyone provides a lovely illustration of our animals’ important role in our enlightenment. In this selection, Michael Chase is seeking guidance from his friend, who is a Buddhist. He is explaining his predicament with his dog Mollie, describing her as having a split personality where she displays many spiritual traits but at times also drives him crazy. His friend’s response is simply beautiful.
“Mollie is like a Tibetan lama, or guru. Once a student has begun to make a transition toward enlightenment, the guru does everything he can to drive the student crazy - he will annoy, poke fun, send him or her on meaningless tasks, and do whatever he can to piss off the mentee. Mollie is your spiritual teacher. Whenever she gets under your skin, causing you to react in anger or impatience or simply pulls you away from a state of peace, she’s showing you exactly where you need to work on yourself.”
- Michael J. Chase
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The other day I sat down with a warm cup of tea and a good book. I just wanted to unwind and relax. I was not in the best of moods. It was one of those days where nothing went according to schedule. There had been fires to put out, unexpected errands that took me all over town and I felt generally discombobulated. I was really in need of a boost to my energy and my outlook. Then out my patio door I saw two rambunctious squirrels barreling across my yard. I didn’t pay them much attention at first, but then I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. They proceeded to put on a complete circus act of theatrics for me. There was trapeze work and tumbling, a game of tag and tree hopping. It went on for a good ten minutes! I was completely mesmerized and I couldn’t stop laughing and smiling. By the time their show was over, I couldn’t remember what I had been so disgruntled about. Life was just fine in the here and now. I had a book on my lap and a cup of warm tea in my hand, no worries or problems to be found. I sent silent thanks to those mischievous squirrels as they ran off into the distance. They knew just what I needed to bring me back into the present moment with a smile on my face...a much needed dose of fun and frolicking.
This heartwarming book chronicles Michael Chase’s journey toward enlightenment, and the insight he gains along the way from his adorable dog Mollie. In his attempt to understand her ability to unconditionally love everyone, Chase begins to see the world through the eyes of his dog. Mollie’s penchant for mischief, goofy shenanigans and exasperating behavior provide plenty of entertainment and ultimately lead to profound insights learned by both Chase and the reader. He conveys his story with humor, warmth and insight and leaves the reader with many inspiring examples of the wisdom he gained by following Mollie’s example. It is a unique story that will make you laugh, cry and contemplate the role of our animals as a guru of sorts in our life - this new approach brings the gift of revealing a pathway toward enlightenment that carries each of us one step closer to loving everyone.
