Are animal’s enlightened?

I appeared at the Equine Affaire in LA last year and needed someone to watch my jewellery while I did sessions. A friend in LA told me her son, (in his thirties) had just finished massage school and was free to help me. I thought he would be in the same mindset as me since his mother was involved in the metaphysical “new age” beliefs, and also, I expected someone who was into massage to be considerate and sensitive.

Well, when he showed up, he actually stated: “I don’t believe animals have emotions.”

Okay- this guy was working for me for the next three days! I told him in no uncertain terms that I KNOW that animals have emotions, and not to DARE say that to any of the customers. He wouldn’t drop it though. The next thing he said really stunned me: “Well people have superior minds and rationalization capability: there is no way an animal can achieve enlightenment”.

That statement was wrong on SO many levels.

I do not think of animals as being any spiritually DIFFERENT than people. Yes, there are some species differences, like dogs can’t lie and cats won’t suffer, and animals are much more able to drop the energy of the past, forgive, and be in the present moment. By doing this, the animal, even though they may have been abused incredibly, will heal. By healing, they learn to trust again, just letting the past slip away like a snake sheds its skin from time to time. Truly, it is a miracle, a miracle I wish more humans were capable of. Dogs come with a purpose and they like a job, and they hold steadfastly to their path but do not hold grudges. Horses are commonly abused, even the really expensive world champion horses. They commonly say that they can’t complain, they have had worse, much worse, and are hesitant to say something that will anger the humans interacting with them at the present time. I find a lot of sadness in horses. A resignation. Cats, well, cats will not suffer. They get even if you treat them poorly. They NEVER lose their dignity, even if they are sick- they hide, not wanting their human to feel sorry for them, and thinking, truthfully, it is none of the human’s business.

The man/boy made the statement that animals cannot be enlightened.
I refer you to Emanuel. When Emmanuel is asked what enlightenment is, he states: “Enlightenment is you, being totally happy, dancing even, in the present moment.”

In that definition, many cats and dogs are enlightened, thinking has nothing to do with it. (I got from this guy that his definition of enlightenment contains a lot of struggle, a superior mind, and intensity. After all, aren’t these beings we call Cats and Dogs, classified as “dumb animals?” Isn’t there some research that cats and dogs cannot make rational decisions? (To this I say- poppycock! Point in case- my cat Spike and I went around for about 2 years on whether or not he should hunt. I was trying to get him to kill mice & pack rats, but not lizards and rabbits. He couldn’t do that; it was either dead or not dead. I had him on a “nothing dead” boycott of killing, when I noticed he got fat, and blithely said to him, “Spike, you need to start hunting again- your getting a gut!” Well, that night, Spike found a nest of baby bunnies, and killed them one at a time in front of me, until all four were dead. Needless to say, the next day I told him to “NOT HUNT” the next day, hardly sleeping that night with the sound of baby bunnies reverberating in my ears. I thought that was the end of the discussion. Then I brought home a kitten from the humane society. Bright, bouncy, obnoxious active and happy, this kitten wanted to be called “Elvis” because he 1. Had black hair. 2. He was one of a kind (I knew with that statement I had an animal with a healthy ego and he was going to be trouble) and 3. He wanted to be called “the king” (this made me very uneasy about him wanting special treatment). What I didn’t know at the time is that he would also become 4. an incredible foodie- loving gravy, and comfort food, just like his namesake, and 5. a singer, and a talker. Again, I should have seen it coming. Elvis is the most verbal cat that I have ever known.

Back to Elvis’s boundless energy, add to that an awe and worship of his older roommate Spike. Such a crush, that he followed Spike everywhere he went. Not just followed him, but also when Spike stopped, so did Elvis, exactly- sitting right on top of Spike.

Well as you can imagine, this put a crimp in Spike’s style. I told Spike if he could survive the idol worship for a year, he would have the best friend he could ever imagine. Spike hunkered down and took on being an idol, a role model and a soft place to sit down for Elvis. I thought that was the end of the story until my neighbour came over one day. You see, little to my knowledge, Spike had been HUNTING at the NEIGHBOR”S when I had a ban on him to hunt on our property or in by the house. Spike had been catching and killing 5-7 rabbits, ground squirrels, pack rats and lizards a week, next DOOR to our house. The neighbour had never mentioned it, and was bringing it up now because, it had stopped. Apparently, as great a hunter as Spike was, he could no longer catch wildlife with a rambunctious kitten following in his footsteps and SITTING on him.

I bring this story up because Spike actually understood that I had told him not to hunt. He still apparently liked and wanted to hunt, so he did it behind my back, nobody the wiser right? While this isn’t LYING, it is avoiding giving all the facts in a situation. To me, it is a more complicated thought process than most people attribute to animals. My neighbours, all of them, think Spike is the smartest cat they ever meant. See, if you say Spike’s name, he will come running to you, even if he has never met you before. He also looks both ways for traffic before he crosses the road, If there is traffic coming, Spike sits down and waits for it to pass.

So- back to the conversation with the massage therapist. He did not think animals capable of rational thought. Animals were not capable of enlightenment in his mind. Well, in my mind, many animals do not NEED to have any thought forms to be enlightened, because they are already there. Most of them (unless abused by people) KNOW how to be totally happy, totally in the present moment dancing down the street. You don’t need to take a bus to Philadelphia if you already ARE in Philadelphia! In fact, what I find, is that the purpose of many dogs I work with is exactly that: to teach their humans how to be totally happy in the present moment, and not be waiting for the next car, the new house, the source of happiness outside of them. Dogs get their purpose from God, and, God in his wisdom knows what will work.

So if you want to be enlightened- bring a dog or cat into your life. A new one, that no one has imprinted human beliefs on, or a rescue that has it’s energy cleared by an intuitive professional who knows what they are doing. Then let me know, which one of you is more enlightened by the end of the first six months.