When my wife and I lived with my mother who
had Alzheimer’s disease, we looked for places to visit on Sundays. The day
service was closed on Sundays. Spending all day in the house with my mother
made us blue, but we couldn’t visit crowded places. It could be dangerous for
my mother. Then we came up with an idea. We decided to visit local temples
together. We drove to temples by car and took pictures. The temples had steps,
which were a good exercise for my mother. Perhaps we could accumulate virtues
by visiting temples.
While I visited many temples, I found out they
have differences. Some temples looked new and luxurious. Others looked old and
worn-out. I imagined that a great monk could live in a worn-out temple. Sometimes
we can find a great actor in a small worn-out theater. The same thing could
happen in temples.
One of the temples gave us a kitty. She was a
stray cat. The temple saved her and was looking for someone who could adopt
her. We named her Ramune. Now she is a member of our family. She is a cat of
dignified isolation. It was difficult to tame her. Her face is so beautiful,
and she looks like she is always meditating. She might have studied Buddhism in
the temple. She could be a cat of high virtue. Sometimes she pees on the sofa
and chair. She could have deep reasons for doing that. A great monk and a great
actor sometimes have eccentric behavior.
Ramune, we already know you are a cat of high
virtue. Please pee in the toilet for cats.
