[Buddha-l] Buddhism and Cats and haiku

[Robert Ertman]

the cat-- 
aware of the suffering
of the mouse

sharing the cat's joy--
aware of the suffering
of the mouse

the cat
offers the buddha
a mouse

We once heard a visiting lama at Poolesville, MD, explain that cats have a hard time accumulating enough good karma for an advanced incarnation because they are such natural born killers.  Our two cats came from the SPCA.  Both hunt but only Miles is pleased to leave a mouse in my shoe.  Cutie Pie had been owned by people who had no understanding of cats, else they would not have named her thus.  She earned a cognomen which explains how she landed at the SPCA:  Cutie Pie the Puppy Killer.  

There are of course happier moments:

each cat eating
the other's dinner
enjoying it

Happy New Year
Bob E
(Editor, UU Sangha)