Real World Wisdom - Do not keep a cat as a pet

 Real World Wisdom – Do not Keep a Cat as a Pet.

By Dinesh K Kapila

 This story is from centuries ago. There was a small village, an old wise Sage, as they say in the West, Swamiji as we say, used to live there in an ashram. It was set against a thick forest and a stream. A young man in search of wisdom, serenity and the secret of life came to this ashram (hermitage). He requested the old wise Swamiji to  accept him as his disciple. The Sage said I am rather on a different path, my quest for awakening and the connect to divinity is through a lived experience of life with spirituality and meditation alongside. The disciple readily agreed and joined as a  young monk  and became very soon a devoted disciple, always engaged in acquiring the knowledge of spirituality.

 After two years the young man had progressed a lot in the quest of spirituality, but was still a novice. He realised that the old Swamiji was very old and declining in health, he would sit regularly with him to absorb as much wisdom as he could. One day he could make out that the Swami ji was on his death bed, ready to quit his human body, ready to make his final journey. The Ashram, went about its normal chores as they were all spiritually inclined. He, the young disciple, stayed on by his side. Then came the moment he dreaded, it was apparent the Swamiji was about to leave his human body. The young monk looked around for assistance, there was no one in sight, he did not want to step out to call anyone.

 Realising it was the last moment of the wise old Swamiji, he sincerely and with folded hands requested, “Swamiji, as you leave this human body, can you tell me the essence of the secret of life? Can you tell me one last word of wisdom so that I can implement it throughout my life”.  The wise old Swamiji smiled faintly, kept one feeble trembling hand on the bowed head of the young monk and with great difficulty somehow said , “‘do not  keep a cat as a pet”’, and he was no more. The words spread through the village and everybody stopped keeping cats as pets. The young disciple was deeply mystified and puzzled by the advise, “do not  keep a cat as a pet”  as the final advise of a great old sage , so he went to the successor Guruji, who till now was second in hierarchy, accomplished in administering the vast ashram and at the same time a master in the world of spirituality. He could meditate for hours and was a sage with  considerable insight .

 So the young disciple went with all humility to this Swamiji, we will call him, Guruji.  The young mystified monk bowed his head and said, “Guruji, why did our revered Swamiji, a master in spirituality say don’t keep a cat as a pet while passing on, what  is the wisdom behind it. I am so confused. Please forgive me”. The Guruji smiled and yet was serious, he said, “ My dear young disciple, I knew you would come to me. What you heard is age old wisdom essence as to the essence of our lives, all encapsulated into eight  words. Sit and listen to what life can be. What it teaches us in rather strange ways, even if indirectly. That is how life’s lessons are drawn”.

 The young man,  sat in al; humility, with a bowed head and folded hands as the Guruji went on. The Guruji told that what you saw as a young monk . when you came to join us, was an enlightened wise Swamiji at the end of a very fruitful, spiritual yet eventful fully lived life. Our wise Swamiji had set up a small ashram at young age at the edge of the village and next to the dense forest. What you see today as the ashram is the combination of many years of the pursuit of spirituality, insight, wisdom, enlightenment and then there is another element to it, a real world  element.

 The Swamiji, who came from a well to do family, when  young would get alms and biksha,  by way of food for sustenance from the village, which had welcomed him with joy. He would also collect some fruits and herbs on day from the forest, there were any number of rats around the ashram. The would eat or damage the small quantity of food and fruits. He could not inflict harm on the rats, so he asked the villages to what could be done. The villagers, after some thinking, advised him to keep a cat as a pet. The cat would accord the rats the right treatment. The Swamiji inquired where do I get a cat and the villagers said no problem and presented him a  fine young cat. The Sage was very happy the first day itself. Some of the rats disappeared, some were dealt with harshly. Now the cat had to be fed, he needed milk. The Swamiji had no milk so as he would go seeking alms, he would request the villages to give him some milk for the cat and they obliged happily. The cat after drinking the milk would feel energetic and he would hunt very well. After some days the villager said Swamiji, this cannot be a long-term process. We think you should have a ready source of milk, It will suit your health also and that of the cat.  While the Swamiji was thinking about it, the villagers presented him with a fine young cow. The cow would yield the milk, the cat would drink the milk, the cat would chase the rats and the store was safe. But the cow required fodder, its primary feed, the villagers took turns to bring the fodder. The Villagers took turns to give some fodder  every day for the cow, the it had a calf, there was a need for more fodder.

  Looking for a permanent solution, the followers presented the Swamiji a plot of land with fodder growing on it, just next to the hermitage. So the cow and calf ate the fodder, then they were milked, the cat would drink the milk and then happily hunt the rats. Though the plot was given as a gift, but the Swamiji had to pray, he had to pursue the spiritual path,  meditate and the plot was distracting him as was the cow. The villages said there is a young widow in this village, she has no source of income. She is also your follower. We all look after her, we will now ask her to grow the fodder, feed the cat and supervise all other work. She can also grow some vegetables. It suits both of you. You can pursue the spiritual path. The Swamiji agreed, so the young widow came over and she really was devoted and gradually both were drawn somewhat close together. The villagers said Swamiji, you have to be ethical, you have not taken a vow of celibacy, so we humbly request you to marry her. The marriage was duly solemnized. At the same time the ashram was expanding, more disciples were coming, the followers were increasing and the Sage, staying true to his pursuit, was also happy.

 He also was now having an expanded family along with all the issues of education, health, family income and at times disputes, sometimes deep disputes, a sad reality of life. And with the attendant stress and complexity. The ashram had a great reputation and was well known. Now said the Guruji, if you think carefully and logically, where did it start from, it  started from the cat, perhaps whatever I described about the life of our revered sage would not have happened the way it did, if the cat had not been introduced into his life.

 Our dear departed Swamiji had a vast array of functions to supervise plus a family to nurture  while all he ever desired and prayed for was to pursue the path of spirituality, the reason why he left his prosperous parents in the first place. Hence, now you will understand and absorb why his final words were  “do not keep a cat as a pet”, the young monk, now suitably aware, suitably educated and absorbing this profound yet very simple straightforward wisdom could only sit with folded hands and keep reflecting as to just what one pet cat could bring about in the life of even a wise sage.

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