MY DOGS ARE MY MINI BUDDHIST BY Mia Mattsson-Mercer

                  
Our President writes weekly for Swedish Magazine NARA. WE translated her text into English.

 MY DOGS ARE MY MINI-BUDDHISTS

Living with former stray dogs is a wonderful learning experience. For several years I have followed individual street dogs or families groups among the strays.  The sense of freedom I feel with them is a kind of independence, as in constant meditation!

For me, stray dogs are my mini- Buddhists. They teach me a lot about being in touch with the present.  I am their student, invited to take part in the school of life.  Street dogs have no expectations!  And so, they have no disappointments.  Expectations are something I wrestle with in many different situations. Stay dogs are unconditional love.  I often try to love unconditionally.  In my “pack” of former strays, when we rest together during the day everything feels like fulfillment.  

Street dogs’ intuition is outstanding. They listen to their inner compass; their intuition is as a survival tool for them.  I practice with my own inner compass, to rely more on my intuition.  If they receive food, they are happy, content and satisfied.  They don’t seek to have more than they need.

Yet I still practice my desires, with dreams that I can strive for and share with fellow human beings.

When (stray) dogs are adopted, within two weeks they stop to use their internal compass.  In most cases they will be “reprogrammed " by their new owners, just as what happens with most children.  Children also drop their intuition, as they get older.  As adults and parents, we think for the children.  It is hard not to, they need our direction, guidance and experience to learn and grow.  Or so we tell ourselves.  The same things we do for most of the dogs.  We teach them the human language, which eventually replaces their inner knowledge, their intuition.  When we dare to rely as much on intuition as children and stray dogs do, we find our own divinity within our purpose and ourselves.  We can learn and teach out our knowledge and have more compassion. To find a balance with the inner knowledge and to dare share the wisdom together with our community. Close your eyes!  Do not look at who's coming with a wisdom message for you, but listen and the book of knowledge opens up in your mind.

We do not know who our teachers are! Let your expectations vanish and open your heart to your inner compass.  I thank my mini- Buddhists for this life's wisdom.  They have a free mind without an ego, such that I aspire to myself.

I'm trying to remember what my soul already knows.

That's Amore !

Mia Mattsson-Mercer