Meditation with Cats
The Hermit and His Life
At the foot of a hill, along the riverbank, lived a hermit. The surrounding forest provided him with the fruits and vegetables he needed, while the river’s water was pure. The people of nearby villages were happy to repair his hut from time to time and offered him clothes. In fact, they were willing to give him anything he required, but his needs were few.
A Dedicated Disciple
Many people came to seek the hermit’s advice and left content. However, one man lingered despite the hermit never asking him to stay. In fairness to the man, he served his master well and claimed to be the hermit’s chief disciple. The people called him Chelababa.
The Call of the Himalayas
One night, the hermit received a vision from his guru who lived in the Himalayas. The next morning, he announced to Chelababa, “I am off to the Himalayas.”
“Please allow me to accompany you,” Chelababa pleaded.
The hermit smiled and expressed his inability to take him along.
“When will you return?” asked Chelababa, visibly anxious.
“Why should I return at all? I am an ascetic; I may go anywhere I like. I have no attachment to any place,” replied the hermit.
The Concern for the Hut
“What will happen to this beautiful hut?” Chelababa asked, filled with concern.
The hermit laughed and said, “The hut is for me; I am not for the hut. Many castles and forts have turned to dust through the centuries. What does it matter if a hut is gone?”
Chelababa did not appreciate this response. He wept and said, “No, Master, please allow me to stay here and continue your tradition until you return.”
The hermit, moved by the man who had served him so well, allowed Chelababa to remain, claiming himself to be the hermit’s disciple and heir, as was his habit.
A Long Absence
The hermit roamed the Himalayas after he met his guru, and years passed—twenty-five years, in fact. Suddenly, he remembered his hut by the river and the man he had left there. He decided to pay a visit to the place.
After several months of travel, he approached the hill, but much had changed in the area, and nobody recognized him. On his way to his old hut, he stumbled upon a fair devoted entirely to the sale of kittens.
The Kitten Fair
“This one will grow up to be a wonderful tomcat, most suitable for meditation!” one seller exclaimed, holding up a black and white kitten.
“Mine is destined to be the finest tabby in the region—the right type for meditation!” shouted another.
“Come here! These kittens are the direct descendants of the one with whom the great hermit himself meditated!” declared a third seller.
The hermit was perplexed. He took aside an onlooker and asked, “Gentleman, how can you have a cat fair?”
“You wouldn’t know! Chelababa’s disciples mostly live in this area. Naturally, the cat is significant here, and we have this quarterly fair!” explained the man.
Returning to the Hut
This explanation did not satisfy the hermit’s curiosity. He continued toward his old hut, where he overheard an old man chiding his son, “How could you think of meditating without a cat tied to the pillar? What will Chelababa think of you if he hears of such an outrage?”
Even more puzzled, the hermit reached the riverbank. His old hut still stood, but it was now maintained as a sacred shrine. Chelababa lived in a comfortable building constructed by his disciples, who also resided with him.
The Revelation
All the disciples stared at the hermit in surprise, but nobody dared to stop him. The hermit pushed on to Chelababa’s room. That evening, Chelababa sat in meditation with a cat tied by a rope to a pillar before him.
As the hermit looked on with compassion, he saw in his vision all that had transpired. A quarter of a century earlier, he had a pet cat that played with him whenever he meditated, so he tied it to a pillar. Chelababa had observed this practice and mistakenly concluded that tying a cat to a pillar was essential for meditation.
Accepting Change
As Chelababa opened his eyes and saw his master, he was about to cry out in joy. But the hermit stopped him and said, “I have no desire to attract a crowd. I must leave this place immediately.”
“Master! Please take me with you this time,” pleaded Chelababa, tears welling in his eyes.
The hermit recognized Chelababa’s genuine plea, though it seemed foolish. Nonetheless, he was a good soul.
“All right. Meet me on the other side of the hill, alone, after a week. In the meantime, announce to your disciples that the age of meditating with cats tied to pillars has passed. Now they can meditate without the cat,” advised the hermit, before he departed for the hill.