I am flowing pretty smoothly this morning and fully enjoying the easy groove of the day’s walk, and yet still I am called to pause reverently in the presence of Cow #0081 — a gentle, beautiful being who is just as innocent and just as loving as any dog or cat companion I have ever adored. A such she is just as worthy of receiving our respect and indeed even our adoration, instead of what is actually soon coming to her — namely, abuse and neglect and callousness and, ultimately, a violent & premature death … 🙁

“Once you have adopted the correct attitude of infinite interconnectedness, you naturally want nothing less than to liberate not just yourself but all beings from suffering. In truth, when you open yourself to the inevitability of your infinite interconnection with all other sensitive beings, you develop compassion for them all as well. You feel a profound empathy for them; you love them and desire for them to be happy. And to that end you want to keep them from suffering, and you do willingly do whatever you can do bring about that peaceful result. You do so as if they were a dearest friend; you do so as if they were what they indeed truly are — an indelible part of yourself. And you don‘t think your kind behavior makes you special in any way, and you certainly don’t congratulate yourself for the same. After all, you wouldn’t congratulate yourself for tending to your own leg if you hurt it, nor would you pat yourself on the back for reaching out to a dear friend in similar need. Loving all others becomes as natural to you as tending a personal wound or caring for an injured family member. And it is in this way that you become a truly compassionate being — it is in this way that you finally become truly Human.” ~ inspired by Robert Thurman

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019), Sanctifying Sentience by Scaughdt