Saturday, September 29, 2012

Patience

Ever watched a pooch when she wants to engage you in play? How she will sit or crouch for ages with the goopy ball, kong, stick or flying squirrel thing in her mouth or between her paws? Staring intently at you and wondering, perhaps, why you are just a little too dense to be getting her message?

Or sitting under a dining room table, drool stretching toward the floor, waiting for a scrap to drop? Or a plate to be proferred for pre-rinse?

The ever patient Muse waiting for her human to figure it out
Although she will encourage me with the occasional sharp bark, The Muse can be very, very patient. She has been known to wait for hours with a shoe that she wants me to wrassle from her after chasing her through the house.

Patience is a foundation for loving kindness and a characteristic of all PoochBuddhas. They hone it daily through practice.  They trust that although they may not get exactly what they want, when they want it, they will certainly get what they need and at the perfect moment. They trust in abundance and are kind enough to accept the inevitable limitations of others, especially humans.

PoochBuddha patience links to a lack of attachment to how things should be and an acceptance of how things actually are. They don't push against the river, striving for what they want. They make their wishes known and then settle in to wait, Patiently.

Although The Muse is always delighted when I engage in play or give her a treat, she is also willing to be patient, secure in her knowledge that everything will work out for the best. Besides, patience sometimes means a nice long nap until the human gets the message. Perfect.

Loving Kindness

My religion is kindness.