Overcoming Habits to Master Oneself--Insights from Keeping a Cat

Master once told a story about the three servants of a wealthy man. Although each was gifted with a good quality, none knew how to use it in social interactions so they met with disastrous results in daily affairs. (Please refer to the News # 61 for details of the story.) Whenever I read this story in the past, I always laughed at the servants' stupidity and inflexibility. However, it was not until I recently acquired a cat that I truly comprehended its meaning. My God! If I had been the man's fourth servant, I most certainly would have also been obsessed with cleanliness and made the same mistakes as the three servants did.

Before I had a cat, I took great pride in my excellent domestic hygiene. Then one day, my husband brought one home as a surprise for me, not realizing that I had never owned a pet in my life and had no idea about how to live with one day and night. However, since she was already in my home, I was reluctant to send her away so I decided to follow Master's good example and treat the creature as a family member. Unfortunately, however, things did not turn out as I planned. During the first three days the cat was in my house she almost drove me crazy! Watching her fur fall all over my shiny floor, I could hardly refrain from running after her twenty-four hours a day to pick up every strand. Also, the sheer sight of the little animal sleeping on my pillow had me chasing her away because I could not bear to have her hair touch mine. In my heart, I wanted very much to treat her nicely, in the way Master pampers Her pets with patience, love and tolerance. But my obsession with having a spotless house seemed beyond my control. Whenever such situations arose, this habit automatically resurfaced.

Thus, I surmised that the servants in Master's story might have also been aware of their faults, but were unable to change their ways. They had become enslaved to the patterns recorded in their minds and so could not become their own masters. Cleanliness is in itself a good quality, but when we keep pets the priority should be love. Master cares about hygiene more than anyone, but when necessary She can set it aside because Her compassion for animals exceeds Her fondness for cleanliness. I understand this process in theory but in real-life situations I am unable to shake off my deep-rooted tendencies in order to show love.

Now I dare not laugh at the three servants in Master's story. Instead, I pray every day, hoping that through Her blessings and the power of the Sound Current, I will be able to one day surmount my habits and truly become my own master.