the dalai lamas cat - david michie

[...]... the desk, then the floor, and stalked out of the room, ears pressed back The Dalai Lama’s three staffers seemed not to notice At lunchtime, I observed Chogyal taking the dog for a walk It trotted obediently beside him as they circumambulated the temple, and there was much stopping and petting by admiring Tibetans as they came and went from the temple complex In the kitchen, Chogyal fed us both at the. .. from other visitors was that when their coffee was placed in front of them, they stopped their conversation and actually tasted it Not only the first mouthful but also the second, third, and subsequent mouthfuls Like the monks at Jokhang, they were paying attention to the present moment deliberately Relishing their coffee Enjoying their surroundings Experiencing pure presence Which was why, when they... brothers gave correct, rote answers and the Tibetan boy also quoted directly from the assigned text, but the French student went further, demonstrating that he had not only learned the concepts but also understood them Throughout all of this, the Dalai Lama smiled warmly Next, in debate with several senior monks who tried to catch the students with clever arguments, the same pattern was followed The. .. working in the nunnery gardens to grow the fruit and vegetables we eat.” She grimaced “He didn’t like the sound of that either.” The others were smiling “I said that we didn’t have a TV or newspapers or alcohol or computers Unlike the prisoners in a jail, the nuns can’t earn money to buy special treats And there are certainly no conjugal visits!” The Dalai Lama chuckled “That’s when he came out with the most... think that their only option is to change their circumstances But these are not the true causes of their unhappiness It has more to do with the way they think about their circumstances.” “We encourage our students to turn their jails into monasteries,” said Robina “To stop thinking about their time inside as a waste of their life and instead to see it as an amazing opportunity for personal growth There... curiously at the monks  The Dalai Lama’s cat, ” one of them explained “Very good karma,” his companion added A group of monks coming along behind them repeated the bowing “You’re sure?” Franc was astonished “His Holiness’s Cat, ” they chorused The change that overcame Franc was immediate and total Drawing me to his chest, he placed me carefully on his other arm and began stroking me with the hand that... the texture of the rice From the expressions on their faces, it was as though they were on a journey of discovery: what sensory pleasure awaited them today? What nuance would they find that was subtly different or gratifying? A short wobble down the road at Café Franc it was a different universe From my lookout on the top shelf of the magazine rack, I could see directly through the glass panel of the. .. Watching the proceedings was good preparation for the younger novice monks, who would one day also have to stand before their peers In the back row of the temple, sitting next to the Dalai Lama on Chogyal’s lap, I listened as two Bhutanese brothers, a Tibetan boy, and a French student all had the chance to impress their audience by answering questions about subjects like karma and the nature of reality The. .. Ivy League universities The professor was penning a tome on Indo-Tibetan history and seemed irked to find he was not the exclusive focus of the Dalai Lama’s attention “A stray?” he exclaimed, after His Holiness briefly explained the reason why I was occupying the seat between them “Yes,” confirmed the Dalai Lama, before responding not so much to what the visitor had said as to the tone of voice in which... Because the Dalai Lama was still at the temple, I went to the office of the executive assistants, dropping the mouse and announcing my arrival with an urgent meow Responding to the unfamiliar tone, Chogyal and Tenzin both turned and looked at me in surprise as I stood there proudly, with the mouse on the carpet at my feet Their reaction was nothing like I had expected Exchanging a sharp glance, they both . Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Michie, David. The Dalai Lama's cat / David Michie. — 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 97 8-1 -4 01 9-4 05 8-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai. 2. Cats—Fiction. 3. Buddhism—Fiction. 4. Buddhist philosophy—Fiction. I. Title. PR6063.I223D35 2012 823'.92—dc23 2012025262 Tradepaper ISBN: 97 8-1 -4 01 9-4 05 8-4 Digital ISBN: 97 8-1 -4 01 9-4 05 9-1 15. between cat and lama, between the stillness of twilight and my deep-throated purr. It is in these moments that I feel profoundly grateful to be the Dalai Lama’s cat. CHAPTER ONE I have a defecating