photo | Lynn Hurry

The story of the Guru and the Cat.

A holy man or guru was devoted to prayer. However, when he knelt to worship each evening, the monastery cat would get in the way and distract him. So he ordered that the cat be tied up during evening worship.

After the guru died, the cat continued to be tied up during evening worship and when the cat died, another cat was bought so that it could be duly tied up during evening worship.

Much later, learned theological books were written by the guru’s disciples on the religious and liturgical significance of tying up a cat while worship is performed.

Adapted from Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird ,
(Image; Reprint edition, 1984) page 63.

Sometimes a simple and pragmatic action does not need to be justified by learned discussion.
It just is.

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