Many cats have called the Reclining Buddha Temple home. Some kittens caught the gaze of kind strangers and we…
Many cats have called the Reclining Buddha Temple home.
Some kittens caught the gaze of kind strangers and were carried away to lives of comfort and ease—far from the temple's quiet austerity. A blessing, no doubt.
Once, someone tried to take Sacred Master. But whenever it was held, it wriggled free and leapt atop the statue's head, stubbornly refusing to come down.
The nun said, "Cats carry nine lives, each brimming with essence—intelligence, spirit, tranquility, righteousness, awakening, light, vitality, energy, and soul."
Sacred Master was no ordinary cat; it was a creature of true spirit.
So it remained, watching hands reach out then retract, as many little cats came and went. Now old and alone, it is the temple's last guardian.