No subject

'The pack leader says when it is time to play, which toys will be
played with, when play time is over, when it is time for a walk,
where the walk goes, when the walk is over, when it is time to
eat, and when it is time to sleep. The pack leader must have
completer domination over the pack. The pack leader must dominate
both space and time. All this, we were told, is for the dog’s
safety and happiness. A dominated dog is a happy dog. Being a
pack leader is enormously stressful and leads to deep
unhappiness. If you want to happy puppy, dominate her.'

I agree that these dog trainers educate humans to think like dog
trainers, because that one was wrong about a lot of dog traits.
Our family dog tells us when it's time to play --that's any time
anyone is near the door and/or time to go for a walk; he finds
his own toys;  he dominates our space under the kitchen table,
where one might stretch out a foot only to encounter a soft leg
or flank; he also dominates the space between table and kitchen
whenever we are eating; he sleeps when he decides to sleep, not
when we decide......and above all, he is the happiest dog ever,
except when we tell him to go lie down when he is trying to beg
at table or is getting in the way of the cook. It is then that he
is unhappy, so au contraire to the trainer, he is not happy while
being dominated. 

Those dogs who ARE happy, while dominated by trainers, are
seduced by giving them food bites after every good behavior, thus
turning them into robots who expect rewards as well as
punishments. This behavior is contrary to normal dog nature
which, unlike Buddha nature, is deeply playful (as well as
hungry, sleepy, protective, etc.). The only joy that the Brahma
viharas speak of is mudita, joy to be felt on someone else's
happiness--a trait that goes with the kinds of societies the
early Buddhists moved among--societies that had strong
predilections to envy (like all social groupings?). But the joy
of dogs and other playful animals is intrinsic to their nature.
One can see highly trained dogs that exhibit not a shred of joy
or playfulness.  

This conversation reminds me of when I was looking after my son
and his wife's parrot while they were away for a weekend. I was
warned not to take the bird out of its huge cage. But when I got
there early morning the next day, the bird looked so depressed
that I offered him my hand and asked him if he wanted to get out.
Very slowly he got on board and I took him to his kitchen perch,
turned on goldy-oldies radio music, and the bird launched into
joyful singing and running through his repertoire of sounds for a
whole hour, non-stop. Then he walked over to the window above the
sink and, looking out the window, began performing his song
again.  
So, Artur, azadi-- for sure. 

Joanna
_____________________


Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 1:03 PM


Dear denizens,

Is it my imagination, or has it become a little quiet around
here?

Well, I just found my dried shit stick and figured it's time to
give the chamber pot a quick stir. As many of you know, I love
the teachings of the Buddha. It's Buddhists I can't stand. Just
this morning I wrote something by way of trying to figure out
why. It may amuse some of you and perhaps annoy an idiot or two.
I hope so. (It's written in the rhetorical mode known as
coyotensis.) 

http://wp.me/prOnR-2o

Dayâmati



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