My Dogs' Cyclic Existence

According to Buddhism, each living thing has a mindstream that is infinite. We have all lived an infinite amount of lifetimes- not necessarily as humans! Its all about Karma which means good or bad actions. If one has sewn enough seeds of good Karma, he or she could expect a better re-incarnation in the next life, perhaps even attaining the status of a Buddha, or Enlightened One, destined to exist in a blissful state of Nirvana and thus ending the cyclic existence of perpetual birth and rebirth in a reality filled with unhappiness. If they have lived negatively, then they have sewn more bad seeds and will likely be reborn as a lower form of life in the universe, doomed to work their way back up through the ranks of more enlightened lives. I believe I have figured out where my dogs Jake and Princess fit in that overall Karmic scheme.

Jake is our 12 year old, Jack Russell/Corgi mix. He was three when I rescued him from the pound and he was decidedly different from the other 20 dogs in his kennel. He refused to go near any of them as though he were "better than them." When I got him home, he did not play with toys, go fetch, or lick me on the face like most other dogs do. Instead, he was moody, expected me to wait on him hand and foot, and enjoyed "humping" anything he could wrap his stumpy little legs around. After he was neutered, his life became a routine of sleeping 20 hours a day, laying on the couch, and flatly ignoring anything I said in an effort to control him. This leads me to an alarmingly clear conclusion: In his previous lifetime, Jake was likely a white male human who was the boss of a large corporation where he expected everyone to bow down before him and cater to his every whim. He was a man who had it all, but did not appreciate it nor did he do anything to make the world a better place. He abused his status and is now paying the Karmic price by being reduced to the status of a dog. That's why he doesn't wag his tail, he doesn't fetch, and he doesn't show affection toward anyone. He feels degraded by being reincarnated as a dog and has decided to just ride it out until the next incarnation as a human. But I aslo think he is finally happy. Since animals are neither good nor bad, he will most certainly advance back up to the status of human in his next life and hopefully will do a better job of preparing is mindstream for cultivating the positive energy necessary for entry into Nirvana, or the state of everlasting happiness.

Princess, our two year old St. Bernard, on the other hand is the same life form level as Jake, but is coming from the opposite direction. She loves to play fetch, lick your face, and chase her tail. She is in love with being a dog. This leads me to conclude that in her previous life, she must have been an insect or some other lowly creature devoid of the capability to play and appreciate life. She clearly did not have a tail before, because it is her favorite thing to play with. She has an unfettered love of being alive. She loves playing with people, cats, goats, and other dogs. I have never seen a creature before who could love so unconditionally regardless of what form the beloved took. In her next lifetime, she will almost certainly be a human who is charitable, fun-loving, and good. She may be closer to reaching Nirvana than me.

So Princess and Jake are both living as dogs for the first time in their spiritual lives. One is on his way down from being a human, the other is on her way up. Wouldn't it be interesting if they met in their next life as humans? Perhaps that explains why certain people forge an instant bond when they first meet- as though they had met in a previous life. Maybe the term "soulmates" really means "two people whose Karmic paths have finally converged after an eternity of near-misses and common experiences." Could that explain the love you feel for your significant other? Maybe you should ask your dog.

P.S. Princess has gained 40 pounds since this picture was taken and is now enjoying "the Good Life" at our house. Now she and Jake are both fat and happy.