The Pure Love of Animals
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, International
Christmas Retreat, Florida, USA, December 23, 2001 (Originally in English)
Videotape #725
We're supposed to be more intelligent than dogs
or other beings, but we still do silly things because our minds distract
us. How many times do you have the feeling that something is right,
you have an intuition about it and you're going to do it, but then you
look at the outside circumstances and your brain tells you, "No,
no. That's not the right thing to do," and you forego it. And later
on you regret it because it's exactly the thing you should have done!
If you hadn't looked at the outer appearances
or circumstances, you would have done the right thing. Similarly all
beings do what they do because they also have brains, and most animals
have younger brains than we do. For example, dogs have the brain or
IQ of a ten-year-old; that's what we've been told, but sometimes it
surprises me. Yet maybe they should have such a low or young IQ so that
they can love unconditionally and innocently like kids.
We grown up people calculate too much and say,
"If I say I love you, what do I get from it?" Or, "If
I treat you nicely, what's the good for me? What's in it for me?"
But kids don't calculate so much--very little! Maybe for toys or affection,
but not much else, not like a business.
So,
maybe that's why animals are so unconditional, so loving and so forgiving.
You can scold a dog very badly or spank his bottom and he yelps, but
then he comes and loves you the next minute, right away. The minute
you call, he comes and forgets all about what you did before. Whether
you're right or wrong, he doesn't mind. Whether you have a loud mouth
or terrible garlic breath, he'll still kiss you. He doesn't mind if
you don't change your underwear for a week! He doesn't mind. That's
why people love animals--because they're so unconditional. They don't
judge you, ever. Whatever you are, you're the person they love, the
only one.
