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Yo Quiero Buddha-Nature

© Yeshe Chodon

This quotation perfectly describes my current meditation practice which is walking meditation in the local hills with my dogs.

You ask of my companions.
Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself
that my father bought me.
They are better than beings, because they know,
but do not tell. --Emily Dickenson

This alone shows you how I feel about dogs. Indoor meditation practices come and go, but the walks have been a constant for over 20 years. Maybe I'll discover the true nature of my mind, or maybe I'll discover a rotting lower jaw already being devoured by my pet, but like W. Dayton Wedgefarth, I say:

...And on Judgment Day, if I take the way
that leads where the righteous meet
If my dog is barred by the heavenly guard
we'll both of us brave the heat!

So the current issue ofTricycle Magazine(Summer 1999)http://www.tricycle.com was greatly attractive to me.This issue features a section called "Dharma Dogs" with several articles examining the ancient koan "Has the dog Buddha-nature?" Whether you buy the magazine or not, be sure to look at the cover, graced by an unforgettable William Wegman weimaraner in lavish silk robe, which can be seen at the website. More Wegman enlivens the articles inside. You can also read excerpts from the articles at the site.

To me, examination of this koan gets us to the heart of the pitfall inherent in any spiritual endeavor...the danger of spiritual pride; setting oneself up as holier-than-thou; losing sight of simple compassion; valuing abstracts more than everyday reality, constructing hierarchies, passing judgments. Ultimately, I see how I am bound by opinions and attachments. My first reaction is to take sides and make judgments, thereby falling immediately into the inherent spiritual trap. I see the dogs and the dog lovers on the side of common sense and natural compassion, and the more theoretical and abstract as...well...the more theoretical and abstract.

A caveat before we go on: although I have taken Buddhist initiation vows three times now, and was moved to the core each time, I remain stubbornly individualistic in my practice and beliefs, following the old 12-Step Program adage of taking what I like and leaving the rest. This is why readers are strongly advised to follow the links and to read Buddhist literature and attend Buddhist teachings to see the social and cultural structure, the traditions and schools, that make up, in the aggregate, formal Buddhism. I am strictly a lay follower, and a rebellious and eccentric one at that.