Temple

 

 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.