The Dog That Prays

Posted in Buddhism by amituofo on March 30, 2008

At a Zen Buddhist temple in southern Japan, even the dog prays. Mimicking his master, priest Joei Yoshikuni, a 1 1/2-year-old black-and-white Chihuahua named Conan joins in the daily prayers at Naha’s Shuri Kannondo temple, sitting up on his hind legs and putting his front paws together before the altar.

It took him only a few days to learn the motions, and now he is the talk of the town.

“Word has spread, and we are getting a lot more tourists,” Yoshikuni said Monday.

Yoshikuni said Conan generally goes through his prayer routine at the temple in the capital of Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture without prompting before his morning and evening meals.

“I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it, too,” Yoshikuni said.

The priest is now trying to teach him how to meditate.

Well, sort of.

“Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate,” he explained. “It’s not like we can make him cross his legs.”

source: CNN

Seeing this doggie in a praying position put a smile on my face. Although it was born as a dog due to its karmic retribution, it must had planted certain good seed in its previous life to be able to see and practice Dharma in this lifetime. How fortunate!

With such condition and through proper guidance of its master, it will surely should be reborn as a human on its next life on the merits of its good practice. I hope it will be see rebirth in the Pureland or at least go to heaven.

On self-reflection, it also serves as a wake-up call for me to be more mindful and diligent in my practice, when this lifetime has already presented me an opportunity to be a student of Buddha - just like Canon The Dog.

Thanks, Canon.

Read more articles tag with dharma, karma, respect.