True on all counts except cows. Cows make excellent low hassle-high reward pets. And the reward includes milk. Of course, you can't have a cow on a suburban lawn, but the shepherd who taught me to meditate kept a pet cow named Sybille, and she was one of the most intelligent and loving creatures (including humans) I've ever met. But most cows I've seen have been driven crazy--one look at their eyes and it's obvious. a
curtisdeltablues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Isn't the checking point "Don't make an issue of the draining influence of animal"? Very clever way to make an issue of it for teachers. I think the problem you are talking about is that using cows as lawn mowers is not efficient. They are not pets but are livestock. The only way it makes sense to go through what farmers do is to eat or sell them eventually. This is like a city person's weird fantasy. I'll bet the guy would be ahead on energy if he used a non electric lawnmower and still be all Vedic up in the hizzi. When it comes to pets each one has a cost, time, hassle, to benefit ratio. I have owned a monkey, high hassle but high reward, dogs, high hassle if you don't live in the country but hight reward, ferrets, charming little elves but stinky, birds, too much mess but high interactive intelligence and affection, and finally my favorite and the winner of the cost hassle reward ratio: cats. The love and affection they provide for the tiny amount of work it takes (I even have a robot litter box) makes them the ultimate pet for me. As a life long animal lover, I always thought that MMY's animal aversion was more personal than yogic. I doubt Donald Trump takes a lot of time with pets either. Just not touchy-feely types. But living with critters is good for your health and fills your life with love. My life would be diminished without them. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Does anybody know of M's views on keeping pets? I've heard him say that they > are a drain. I always thought he meant of some kind of spiritual energy, but > I'm beginning to believe he actually meant a drain of resources and time, > being a distraction from program.< I heard a story about a yogi that lived in a > hut in the forest doing his program and he only had two possessions, a couple > of loin cloths. One to wear , one to wash and dry for the next day. A rat > used to disturb him in meditation by scratching the cloth hanging to dry so he > got a cat to chase away the rat, then he needed a cow to have milk to feed > the cat. Then he had to raise grain to feed the cow. Before long the yogi was > tending a farm in order to not be distracted in meditation from the rat but > there was no time for meditation because of all the duties of the farm. In > short , the busy businessman story. The reason I'm asking this is, this story is > being manifested on TMO property as we speak. A care taker has been ordered > to build a fence to keep some calves who are supposed to be lawn mowers, so to > speak. The care taker is going to end up rising at 4 or 5 in the morning to > bottle feed the calves and tend to their needs during the day so he won't > have to mow the grass (this was not his idea). I've tried to lobby against this > venture without success as being *off the program* and also a liability to > the TMO. Poor fencing means cattle escaping and wondering off, perhaps on to > roads, causing accidents. The calves will be steers and serve no other purpose > than to eat grass and be pets. Any comments are welcome. > > > > ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
