Sesshin, Dogs and Humans

Here’s a few reflections on dogs and humans that came together during my work-period dog walk today during sesshin. 

The first reflection arises from how we let Bodhi into the zendo to hang out during zazen. I notice that humans and dogs make a lot of the same noises pushing air through various passages. For example, that “humpf” sound that wonderfully expresses frustration. 

Zen students sometimes make it rather quietly as they sit down for yet another sitting. Bodhi doesn’t hold back at all, however, especially when he’s been waiting for a couple hours for a little attention. I wonder, though, if we got it from them or they from us or if we both got it from some ancient mammalian ancestor. Hmmm.

Dogs and humans, after all, have been tight for about 70,000 years. That’s about 12,000+ dog generations. That brings me to my second not-so-profound sesshin insight – dogs still sometimes bite 12,000 generations later.

And that’s another way that we’re alike – it takes both species a long fricking time to change our habitual problem-solving style. For example, when cornered, dogs resolve the matter with their teeth and we with our wandering-in-circles minds. 

Finally, like in the above photo. Even though Bodhi has never caught a squirrel, he still loves a good chase, especially when the chase is down hill, even if there is no squirrel present to the human eye. 

We humans, of course, also like to chase our squirrels.