Applying Restraint to My Life. What I Have Learned from the Dogs.
Gunnar is the name of the dog that my former husband and I lived with in our last few years of marriage. He now lives with my ex. He is all Black Labrador Retriever. He lives to retrieve. He knows nothing about the study of Yoga or Mindfulness. At least he has not told me so. There is a big chance he does and this is the question I am going to explore. Although it was Gunnar that came to my mind, I have lived with many dogs and maybe you too have had a dog in your life and you can relate to what I am about to say.
I remember being in Yoga teacher training when we first brought Gunnar home. It was an eight week program and I was on week 4. I was studying the 8 Limbed Path of Yoga by practicing a Yama, and then a Niyama each week. When thinking about Gunnar, the Yama that came to mind was Brahmacharya or non-excess.
Traditionally, Brahmacharya was the rule of celibacy for young monks, who, by practicing, would preserve semen and in this way, protect that life force for deeper meditation and focus. Non-excess may be a more contemporary interpretation and is possibly more attainable for yoga students in 2012. Non-excess is also something I am contemplating with regards to Gunnar. Is he, and other dogs the picture of moderation or is he EXCESS personified?
I could argue that he doesn't want for much. He wants to be fed daily; dog food and water. Does he want other kinds of food other than the food he is given? Well, the longing glances and impenetrable stares while I ate my breakfast, lunch and dinner could imply that he would eat my food...ALL OF IT...if I let him. And yes, he did "steal" sticks of butter, pieces of bread and other left-overs that were placed within his tongues reach. So, I guess we could come to the conclusion that if left to his own will-power, he would have little control of his eating impulses.
What makes Gunnar different from humans is the power of the voice. In Buddhism, Right Speech is the 4th step on the Eight Fold Path. In Pali, Samma is the equivalent to “right” or “perfected”, “completed”. Vaca means speech. Samma vaca = right speech. Right speech invites us to refrain from lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and meaningless speech (from the Discourse in Mindfulness Meditation by the Buddha).
We have a voice to complain if we don't have enough, don't like what we have or want MORE! Food is an area that I and many Americans can practice brahmacharya. I tend to buy more food then we need and as a result, throw away food that goes bad. At times have I have eaten more or ordered more food than I could eat or should have eaten. I have indulged and over-consumed and my brain is bigger than Gunnar's!
Gunnar doesn't excessively buy clothes, furniture, long for the newest car or latest electronic gadget. His life is simple, feed me, walk me...better yet, take me to the dog park, and most of all...PET ME! He could never be pet enough. When I scratched under his chin, he lifted his head high and back- a huge heart opener for him, a bit like camel pose- ustrasana.
Gunnar never asked for a new bed (that I know of) .he was content to sleep on the floor but tended to prefer soft pillows. He restrained himself at times when told to stay (when he obviously would have rather been under the table waiting for dropped food). When taken to the dog park and the ball was thrown enough, he would take a break and lie in the long grasses in the distance to tell me that he was moderating his movement. Gunnar is the one of the MOST gentle beings that I had the privilege to know. He allowed children of all shapes and sizes to manipulate his body. They snuggled next to him, they danced with him, they wrestled with him- they used him in a variety of ways for their pleasure and he never complained. Gunnar barked on occasion, but didn’t carry on or use his voice in excess.
Wallace Slater, in his book "Raja Yoga" states that Brahmacharya is self-control in all things. "Be temperate in eating, in sexual relations, in movement, in emotional expression, in thought. Avoid excesses of all kinds. Be gentle in action and speech. Such behaviour will prepare the aspirant for subsequent practice in advanced mediation, and he will, at the same time, be an influence for peace in his surroundings (Slater, pg. 26)." So Gunnar, because he is a dog, does not have a big enough brain to think about moderation. He does what feels good and if that means he can get someone to pet him ALL DAY LONG, that is what he would do. He is not intentionally practicing moderation so that he can prepare himself for advanced meditation, again, because he is a dog. Yet, the above would have me contemplate how I could be more like Gunnar and be content with what I have and practice a little more moderation in some areas of my life like being patient, more quiet, mindful of my words (spoken and written) and content with what I have.
I do wondered, what DOES he do all day long when the people are at gone? Maybe he IS meditating? Maybe he and all other dogs are the most mindful beings around.