Life On A B-I7

The Cat Who Taught Zen

“The Cat Who Taught Zen” is a wonderful little book. It is a primer on Zen. A collection of classic Zen stories woven together into a charming narrative that presents the stories in an abbreviated and simple fashion that even I can understand. The book is delightfully illustrated by the author, James Norbury. Many of the paintings are done in the Sumi-e style. A type of painting that uses black ink on special paper. The result gives a wonderfully spontaneous result to the finished subject.

Naturally, reading the book reminded me of my cat, Mr. Tux. I never thought of him as a Zen Teacher, but that is exactly what he is. If he could talk, I would have figured that out much sooner. His quiet non-verbal way of being is deceiving. What characterizes him most noticeably is the fact that he is constantly instructing. His way of being is his instruction. He is always in the moment when there is someone around him and paying attention to him. When he needs to be alone, he finds his way of managing that. I think this combination of being present for those who are around us, and withdrawing to a state of relaxation and contemplation when there is no one around is a fantastic lesson that I can use in my own life. I’ve been trying to practice this without really realizing what I was doing. Now that I have read “The Cat Who Taught Zen,” this has become all the more apparent to me, and all the more desirable.