Today is National Puppy Day, and can you believe it - You-Know-Who didn't want me near the computer. I had to pull out my best trick - ignoring her. I just turned my back, refused to respond when she called me, didn't chase after my stuffed Lamb Chop which is just like the one Sharie Lewis had only smaller; I turned my nose up at multiple treats. Finally she gave in, and here I am, clicking keys on National Puppy Day. I know I'm not a puppy any longer, but my heart is still young, and the years have taught me a thing or two. I observe. I take it all in and on Sunday I was very interested in what YKW was reading since it involved me.
YKW was reading a book called Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. It is something about the Gautama Buddha. Now, I'm an admirable, disciplined animal. I keep to a schedule and every night before the big hand gets to eight, I like getting a long, vigorous scratch. She picks me up and every night says "Time to rub the Buddha belly." My vet says I am "well insulated." This book is obviously about me and I paged through it when she put it down.
This story takes place in Nepal. My peeps come from Tibet so there's another connection. A young boy named Sid (Siddhartha takes too long to type with my short fingers) leaves home and goes on a spiritual journey. I take those once in a while. When spring arrives, I like to march around our house every morning to smell what's new. Sid does a couple things different from me, however. He fasts - something that seems just plain silly - he meditates (not sure what that is but it might have something to do with watching birds) and he gives away all his stuff. Me, give me a couple good bowls for food and water, a bed in the living room, a pillow by the deck door, a blanket next to the couch, a front door with a window for watching air and stuff, plenty of fuzzy stuffed things and I'm good to go.
Sid meets and has a few chats with this Buddha guy but doesn't like everything he has to say so he decides to go about his journey alone to find out what is important in his personal world. Sid has lots of adventures and some misadventures; he becomes rich. Near the end of his life, he figures out that those things have not fulfilled him. I guess that Buddha fellow was right after all.
Siddhartha is all well and good, I suppose as far as minor philosophies go. But if you want some solid, practical life lessons, look no further than this little gem. No author listed. Perhaps the writer is just too modest. Perhaps the writer wants readers to believe that these wisdoms come from the heart of an Everydog sort - like me. (Paws can't get the computer to stop centering. GRRR.).
You'll find lots of dogie thoughts here, things that can be used today, tomorrow and well into next week. Each page has a picture of one of my peeps; and even better, each page is a postcard. You can take it out and mail it to one of your human friends who might need a little help getting his or her tail wag on.
So, that's it for this edition of The Dog Blog. Remember, today is National Puppy Day. Write your congressman today so we can make this a year long holiday. Puppies of the world UNITE.
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