Dogs possess naturally, characteristics which certain humans have long struggled after in their effort to attain the state of consciousness necessary to apprehend the nature of Divine Reality, and achieve transcendence, in accordance with the Perennial Philosophy . The proponents of this timeless philosophy are concerned with, "the one, Divine Reality substantial to the manifold world of things and minds." According to those who expound this wisdom tradition, the experience of this unity with the Divine Ground can only be apprehended by those who have fulfilled certain injunctions; making themselves "loving, pure in heart, poor in spirit. " When I picked this book up in my paws and started reading it, I thought at first that it was describing the nature of dogs, for on our best days we certainly fulfill those requirements, and as your beloved pets we possess those characteristics. Loving? Check! That's our natural state. Pure in heart? Yes! We lack guile, are empathetic, more heart than mind. Poor in Spirit? Check! We don't have huge egos, we have great energy but it's directed towards the benefit of our family and our master, not towards self-aggrandizement. Of course all bets are off if food enters the equation. Asceticism notwithstanding, partaking in sustenance is necessary for maintenance of our physical shells, and enables us to further explore the nature and workings of Heart and Mind. That's my reasoning anyway, though some maintain that fasting is helpful in attaining the state of mind necessary for a peek into the beyond. In my opinion, meat is especially helpful. After all, dogs cannot live on bread alone.
After further examination, I now see why it is, that only a few saintly humans are able to achieve the state of being necessary to attain this unitive knowledge of Divine Providence, that mystics, shamans and saints have described as "an unseen, over and above the seen." Lower animals such as dogs are one with the Ground of All Being, but we lack the intellectual faculties which humans possess. We are loving, selfless, poor in spirit, pure in heart, - but because we lack the knowledge and faculties necessary to have "free will," we are limited in our ability to achieve man's final end. The process of mortification , of dying to self, that the Perennial Philosophy prescibes must be a conscious decision. It must be an act of the will to abandon the ego, to empty the self so that Grace can replace guile and machination. The ego fights back against this assault on its power and control, and can lead to Dark Nights of the Soul . Still the Philosophy suggests that sooner or later, one way or another, this way or that, the final end of man will be this unitive knowledge of Reality. Sometimes I'm glad I'm just a dog, and that there is no one besides my master who has such high expectations of me. Personally, I find it hard to avoid milkbones for one day , much less subjecting myself to forty days and forty nights of fasting. Humans are given so many choices in what and who they identify with. They can choose the everyday path of ego and self, or they can do as some have, and take a chance on an unknown and unseen that demands mortification, but promises transcendence. For humans, this choice is a matter of free will. Sounds kind of scary to a dog like me.
Buffy
Humanity's Best Friend
After further examination, I now see why it is, that only a few saintly humans are able to achieve the state of being necessary to attain this unitive knowledge of Divine Providence, that mystics, shamans and saints have described as "an unseen, over and above the seen." Lower animals such as dogs are one with the Ground of All Being, but we lack the intellectual faculties which humans possess. We are loving, selfless, poor in spirit, pure in heart, - but because we lack the knowledge and faculties necessary to have "free will," we are limited in our ability to achieve man's final end. The process of mortification , of dying to self, that the Perennial Philosophy prescibes must be a conscious decision. It must be an act of the will to abandon the ego, to empty the self so that Grace can replace guile and machination. The ego fights back against this assault on its power and control, and can lead to Dark Nights of the Soul . Still the Philosophy suggests that sooner or later, one way or another, this way or that, the final end of man will be this unitive knowledge of Reality. Sometimes I'm glad I'm just a dog, and that there is no one besides my master who has such high expectations of me. Personally, I find it hard to avoid milkbones for one day , much less subjecting myself to forty days and forty nights of fasting. Humans are given so many choices in what and who they identify with. They can choose the everyday path of ego and self, or they can do as some have, and take a chance on an unknown and unseen that demands mortification, but promises transcendence. For humans, this choice is a matter of free will. Sounds kind of scary to a dog like me.
Buffy
Humanity's Best Friend
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