This blog post is about the book “The Cat who taught Zen” written by James Norbury

This book is about dealing with our feelings by using zen ideas, which often do not say what we need to do, but using a parable or a poem or a statement, gives us pointers.

In our lives we come across several feelings or have situations such as

We are extremely self centered and do not think about any one or care about others. We brush away any chance of being considerate, compassionate in our hurry to get somewhere, hurry to achieve something
We compare ourselves to others and wish we were them. This feeling could be perennial for some, it could be passing feeling for some or it could be event driven for some
We are forever bored with all the good things that life has bestowed upon us and yearn for death. We see this usually in old people but increasingly we are seeing that this feeling cuts across ages
We want to dominate, achieve and most of the times agitated and angry. Our feelings of success are short lived and we are forever wanting to get to the next goal
We are afraid of venturing on a new path, assuming that we are not yet prepared.
We are repenting on the loss of a thing, person, friendship. We are angry with ourselves or others because of the loss.
Our relentless search of some place, thing or person whom we think will bring us peace

The book captures each of the above feelings via various animals who feel the same in their lives

A cat who is a city resident but yearns for peace, acceptance and looking for some elusive mantra, place or some tree that might give her eternal peace. In one of the conversations with the rat, it comes to know about a pine tree in the forest that is supposed to have a magic that it gives peace to anyone who sits under it for long hours. Immediately the cat goes on a mission to find this elusive pine tree. In the process of reaching the pine tree, it finds a variety of animals that share some of the feelings that we have in our daily lives

Keep learning. New ideas can help us grow and avoid repeating the same mistakes. It is easier to learn when you realize life is always trying to teach you something
Spend time in silence, appreciate nature, be mindful and seek peace
Nature has no words but it is trying to tell you something
Spend time with those who bring out the best in you
Wherever we go, we are our own companion. And that is why we must try to be good friend to ourselves and treat ourselves with gentleness
Kindness and gratitude are two qualities that I found difficult to learn, but they can help us in so many ways. They cost nothing, but their value cannot be overstated
If you knew how much kindness could change your life, you would practice it at every opportunity

The cat meets a crow along the way who is feeling angry because someone stole her precious shiny thing

Story of tiny dragon who was so fascinated by a shiny object that made her go through a series of adverse life situations to finally see the fascinating beauty of nature
Sometimes what we think bad ends up good, and something we have always wanted, ends up harming us
Flowers can bloom in the most unlikely of places
Fate leads us on a winding path and despite how bad a situation may appear, we can never really know how it will turn out

The cat meets a young wolf along the way who is forever wanting to be someone else

We each have our own gifts to offer the world and we should celebrate them, rather than wishing we had someone else’s

The cat meets a monkey along the way who is very restless with her thoughts

You were so focused on listening that the past, the future and all your thoughts about them ceased to exist.
Peace is within all of us

The cat meets a tortoise along the way who is so bored with life that all he thinks is death

Each moment is a unique place in the world just for you. Savour it now for you can never visit it again

The cat meets a tiger along the way who is forever chasing animals and forever being angry at the world.

You are creating your own pain, friend Tiger. You think that by besting me you will feel mighty and strong, but it will not bring you the satisfaction you are seeking. It will never be enough, and you will live angry and unfulfilled
Tiger: I have been angry for so long I thought that being better than those around me would somehow make me feel good. Just the idea of not trying to be the best feels so good - so calming - I somehow feel I have come back to myself
The more I have gone out of my way to help others, the richer my life has become
The obstacle is often the path
The signpost is not the destination. It simply points to it… Likewise, the books are not the way, although they can help you find it. Just like the signpost, if you spend all your time studying it you will never get where you are going
It is better to begin the journey, make some mistakes and correct your course, than to wait until everything is perfect and never even start

The cat just before reaching the magical pine tree meets a kitten who is always in the present, joyous and carefree about life. It is from this kitten that the cat learns the most important thing about her life

He realized that through all the years of solitary practice he has been focused only on himself. And he thought back over his journey and all the creatures he had helped to bring a little pace to; he realized that this was never about a tree. This was about talking all the things he had learned over his life, all the gifts he had been given, and sharing them.
And that the small things he’d ignored were in fact the things he should have been paying the most attention to

What we want is seldom what we need and what what we need is almost never what we want

Life doesn’t always go to plan. and we don’t always have the presence and wisdom to learn from our problems. But the fact that you don’t always know how things may ultimately turn out can bring light to dark places. The idea that the problem you are currently facing could end up having something positive hidden within it can help you through the experience

The secret to a beautiful life is not just in an ancient tree or a star-filled sky. It is in the leaves and the mud and the rain. In you and me and in the bustling city I left far behind.

Takeway

A delightful book that I am certain read it again and again, for the ideas in the book are timeless