Sunday, July 4, 2010

Harmless Toads

I caught a toad in desert camo out in my white garden this morning, which is, come to think of it, the best place for camouflage if you're a white toad with a few brown and gray markings. My amphibian book tells me this is Fowler's toad, and that it croaks like a bleating sheep with a cold.

Catching a toad requires mindfulness and intention. There's no time for sissy reactions of "Eew" nor for the pseudo-compassion of "Poor thing, I don't want to hurt him."

Toad-catching requires a warrior's complete attention and intention. The Buddha himself was of the warrior class and brought these qualities to the practice of harmlessness in all aspects of life. A naga (a cobra-looking serpent) visited and protected the Buddha in the fourth week after his enlightenment. Compared to that, a toad seems pretty harmless.

2 comments:

  1. Why did you capture the toad? What did you do with it after you caught it?

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  2. I can see you helping the toad on his or her merry way to explore happiness more while staying away from suffering.

    Isn't this what we all aspire to?

    Thanks,

    michael j
    Conshohocken, PA USA

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