“I began to think that perhaps the time had come for me to write a book of my own—a book that would convey some of the wisdom I’ve learned sitting not at the feet of the Dalai Lama but even closer, on his lap. A book that would tell my own tale…how I was rescued from a fate too grisly to contemplate to become the constant companion of a man who is not only one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate but also a dab hand with a can opener.”
The Dalai Lama’s Cat—by David Michie—
begins from a cat’s point-of-view. In the slums of New Delhi, a starving and mud-smeared kitten is taken against her will only to be left for dead. Fortunately, she is rescued and taken to a beautiful sanctuary with a view of the Himalayas, where her new life begins as the Dalai Lama’s cat.
The cat goes by many names. For example, names such as Rinpoche, Mousie-Tung, including Snow Lion. In the eyes of the public, however, she is known as HHC—His Holiness’s Cat.
From the perspective of His Holiness’s Cat, the reader is provided some helpful insights on finding happiness and meaning in today’s world. What I did like was the story pointing out that we tend to focus too much on ourselves because of today’s, materialistic world. Because of this, many people actually feel that they have unfulfilled lives. There was a particular passage in the story that I’d made a note of for safe-keeping. This person said:
“Everyone has the same basic problem. Expressed in different ways. Our main problem is that we are all ‘I’ specialists…We don’t stop thinking about ourselves the whole time. Even when this makes us unhappy and uptight. If we focus too much on ourselves, we make ourselves sick. We have this constant inner chatter going morning, noon, and night, this inner monologue. But paradoxically, the more we are able to think about making other beings happy, the happier we become ourselves.”
I enjoyed reading this book and I’d recommend it for anyone who is looking for an inspirational story, for anyone who is interested in reading about Buddhism and Enlightenment, or for those who are cat-lovers. The story is funny and inspirational and I believe that you’ll enjoy it.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book from Hay House Publishing for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
Just a Thought 