Does even a dog?

Someone asked, "Does even a dog have Buddha-nature?"

Joshu said, "From the gates of every house the road leads to the capital."

-- Sayings of Joshu

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My comment

This is an important discussion. Zen students should always discuss the nature of the animals.

Does even a dog have Buddha-nature?

I was in a melee of dogs the other day. They were bitching, screaming, running around, whining, and doing other canine things. At one point, I pretended to play with a big German Sheppard.

It ran up to me and jumped on me. It was a big dog and so it knocked me down on the ground. I didn't know the dog very well, but nonetheless I played. I wrestled and jostled with the dog for a few seconds. Then I got up and told her, that's enough. And she understood.

That was enough to let me know that, unfortunately, a dog does not even have Buddha-nature.

Submitted July 08, 2022 at 05:01AM by Jamalwherewithall https://ift.tt/p0u9wnL