Such a naughty cutie…
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This is an unlikely but true story that took place a couple of months ago:
The toilet had been running. I turned off the water and opened the tank to take a photo to send to our friend in charge of repairs. (Cooper is just visible in bottom corner.)
I felt stumped, unable to see any temporary fix to get the only toilet in the Vihara working again. (The broken place needed to be dried and re-glued. I’m allergic to glue.) It could be a few days or longer before the repair, and guests would arrive soon for teachings.
I must’ve stepped back to check the photo, for Cooper saw his chance to jump up and stick his head in the tank. That’s not ideal, of course, but he’s too big, and too determined, to fight him over every little thing; gotta pick my battles. He really likes water.
When I peered into the tank again, I felt alarmed to see Cooper had done something in there. I received a plastic disk from his mouth; after a bewildered moment I realized that he had just neatly pulled off the broken part.
After Cooper’s intervention it became obvious that I could simply place the little hose into the center part to make a temporary fix until the repair guy could come over.
I named him “Cooper” after my deceased father, John Cooper, thinking the kitty was my Dad reborn. But unlike this cat my Dad never had a bad temper, which makes me doubt - but then, Dad wouldn’t have liked to be reborn as just a cat, so maybe that’s why he gets so cranky.) Anyway, Dad was a good handyman, and he would have thoughtfully removed the broken plastic piece, just like that.
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Every monastery needs to have a handy-cat around! This story is hilarious!
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So glad to give you a smile!
I’m thinking of you with much metta dear Ayya Vimala!
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Yesterday morning Cooper wriggled, chirped & groomed loudly, until I admitted it was past his breakfast time and got up from meditation.
Here’s a video of the last minute & a half of his Look At Me performance, which ends with his dignified hard stare.
(At 5 seconds the film seems to jerk but those are his actual wiggles.)
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Wondering if anyone is rescuing dogs in China right now, I came across this worthy cause. Plz share.
No Dogs Left Behind (a US based non-profit saving dogs in China)
Jeffrey Beri (@NDogsLB) Tweeted: FEBRUARY FOOD DRIVE! The lockdown & emergency infectious disease quarantine protocols have added so many additional expenses! The suspension of February freedom flights has added more dogs to feed. For $1 a day, you can help us feed 1 survivor! Donate at http://nodogsleftbehind.com/donate https://twitter.com/NDogsLB/status/1223669452945883138/video/1 https://twitter.com/NDogsLB/status/1223669452945883138?s=20
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But seriously, this one may not be a ‘Buddha’ being but a ‘Mara’ being
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This was Luci. She passed recently, but she left lots of good memories and silly photos. She thought she was a spider cat and slept like this often
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I see Luci has some fans. Here she was helping my wife and I practice the very popular mindfulness of hair on all of all of our clothes, practice.
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Shaggy, a rescue dog, making himself at home 
https://www.wires.org.au/wildlife-info/wildlife-factsheets/domestic-pets-and-wildlife
Will this help, Bhante?
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Hi Viveka, there are dogs that are trained to literally rescue people or other beings in physical dangers. Is that one among them?
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That is very true 
In this case though, he was the one rescued - he was an abandoned dog. He has had a few owners, and was in the RSPCA for quite some time… and in desperate need of a home. Now we can give metta to each other 
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Hi Shaggy! Beautiful hound! Such a comfortable bed too! A lucky dog indeed to be somewhere safe and cared for so well by @Viveka!
Metta to all the buddha beings on this thread and all other Buddha beings yet to make it to the thread. May they all make an appearance before the get enlightened!
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I totally forgot to add the Lokanta Vihara baby pigeons to this thread! Here they are. They are especially beautiful when young 
But all too quickly they have already grown up and left the nest. Bhante Sujato and I really enjoyed watching them grow up. I especially enjoyed seeing them learn to flap their wings, and fly for the first time! 
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Some of the Buddha beings around my house in the summer
- Ms Bobcat sunning herself in the garden
- baby robins in nest on deck light (2 babies in the nest got taken by a hawk, 1 survived and the second pic is just as she was about to fledge)
- tarantuala
- three pink coachwhip snakes (AKA ‘red racers’) on our flagstone steps (hmmmm?)
![IMG_0188 2|500x500]
(upload://d9BoSTr2sdkiBH2WVhfX5fv546x.jpeg)
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