Written by David Michie

I never knew you could learn things from a cat but after reading her story, well I learnt quite a few things.

The Dalai Lama’s cat had many names from many other people but The Dalai Lama called her Snow Lion which represent unconditional happiness. Living with The Dalai Lama from a young age she learnt and observed everything he did and said, and after a wild incident with a mouse she stared to apply it and it changed a view point towards her life.

Here are five lessons I learnt from The Dalai Lama’s Cat, Snow Lion.

Lesson 01: Anger

Dalai Lama said “When one is angry, the first person to suffer is oneself. No one who is angry has a happy, peaceful mind”.

To solve your anger or any negative emotion, one should challenge their anger by being aware of what makes them angry and why. The more they ask why, then they will reach the root of the problem and will have energy to solve the real problem. Just keep asking why.

Lesson 02: Accepting Others

The Dalai Lama said to Mrs Trinci the chef, “The purpose of Buddhism is not to convert people. It is to give them tools so they can create greater happiness. So they can be happier Catholics, happier atheist, happier Buddhists. There are many practices, and I know you are already very familiar with one of them”.

At the end of the day it’s not about brainwashing others to believe what you do is right, it’s about sharing your experiences, lessons and is up to the other person to learn and understand from you.

Lesson 03: Taking Care of your self

A young girl started chewing rocks because her body was lacking iron. The doctor told her to start eating red meat but she refused as she was a vegetarian. She told the Dalai Lama about her problem and her real reason for not wanting to eat red meat was because she didn’t want to harm any animals. The Dalia Lama told her “Sentient beings are killed even for a vegetarian diet. When land is cleared to make space for crops, the natural habitat is destroyed, and many smaller beings are killed. Then crops are planted, and pesticides are sprayed, killing many thousands of insects. You see, it is very difficult to avoid harming other beings, especially in relation to food”.

It’s a complicated subject but a subject we need to think about. The important thing to remember quoted from Dalai Lama “Before we eat any meal, vegetarian or meat, we should always remember the beings that have died so that we can eat. Their lives were just as important to them as your life is to you. Think of them with gratitude and pray that their sacrifice will be a cause for them to be reborn in a higher realm—and for you to be healthy, so that you can quickly, quickly reach full enlightenment in order to lead them to that same state”.

Lesson 04: Geshe Wangpo Teachings

Geshe Wangpo is one of the teachers at the Monastery and he said “If we focus too much on ourselves, we make ourselves sick”.

This advice truly hit me because I was thinking and trying a lot about myself and how am I going to make myself happy. The results was astonishing as I felt sad and pity for myself. The times I helped my mother or anyone who needed my help, the joy I felt like I was on top of the world. The reason for this is from all the time I spend learning and practicing my skills, I was able to help someone who needed this skill and just made their lives easier.

Another lesson from Geshe Wango is that our parents spend all their time taking care of us. It’s only fair to make the time to be there for our parents. Not all parents are perfect but neither are we, to me if you are healthy and still alive, you should always make time for your parents and loved one. I know many people out there who wish they had more time with their parents. So appreciate what you have and stop living in your own bubble of excuses.

Lesson 05: Letting it all be

A story the Dalai Lama heard from a man called Thich Nhat Hanh about a Zen story of the farmer and his horse “The story is set in a bygone era in Japan, when a horse was not simply a horse, it was also a measure of wealth”.

The Dalai Lama nodded. By now, Thich Nhat Hanh had my full attention, too.

“This farmer acquired his very first horse, and all the local villagers came around to congratulate him. ‘How proud you must be to own such a magnificent horse!’ they all said.

“But the farmer, understanding something about the importance of equanimity, simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’

“Soon afterward, the horse broke out of the paddock and ran into the countryside. The villagers commiserated with the farmer. ‘What a terrible tragedy! What a great loss! How is it possible to recover from such a thing?’

“Again, the farmer simply smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’

“Less than a week passed, and the farmer woke to find that the horse had returned—accompanied by two wild horses. With the greatest of ease he led them into the paddock and closed the gate behind them. The villagers could hardly believe what happened. ‘This is amazing good fortune! A cause for great celebration! Who could have believed such a thing was possible?’

“Of course, the farmer only smiled and said, ‘We’ll see.’

“His son began the work of breaking in the two wild horses. It was dangerous work, and during the course of it, he was thrown from one of the horses and broke his leg. This happened shortly before harvest, and without his son’s help, the farmer faced a great challenge in collecting his crops. ‘How difficult is your hardship,’ the villagers told him. ‘Losing your son’s help at a time like this—there could be few greater misfortunes.’

“‘We’ll see,’ is all the farmer said.

“A few days later, the Imperial Army sent troops to every village to round up fit, able-bodied young men. The Emperor had decided to go to war and was rallying the troops. But because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he was excused from service.”

Thich Naht Hanh smiled. “So it goes on”.

The base of the story is that everything happens for a reason and that we should be grateful for the journey we are on and not overthink the results.

There were just so many other amazing lessons and advice, I definitely recommend reading The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie. It truly open your eyes and helps you be more open minded with the world we live in.