It’s been a hard two weeks here: we lost Hobbes (my office mate), followed shortly after by the loss of Peachy.
They were iconic cats and were integral parts of many lives.

Not surprisingly, times like this find me thinking more about life, death, what it all means, etc.
After many years of such musing, I’d like to tell you I have the answer…but I don’t.
I try to strengthen my resolve to simply “live in the moment.” But it’s surprisingly difficult to accomplish for us humans.

But, living for “now” comes naturally to cats (and many other non-human animals), so I often look to them for insight.
And, what better teacher than Sensei¹ Morgan 🙂
I was thinking about how long he had been with us and I started looking back through some old photos.

When I saw the photo on this page, I had an image of me as a Zen student, having climbed a mountain and now approaching the master Morgan in his dark cave: “Roshi², what is the meaning of life?”

At that point, Morgan’s servant lights a fire and I see Morgan, sitting there with his tie on, smiling at me.
Like any good Koan³, the meaning is beyond words.

1. Japanese for “teacher.”

2. Japanese for “old teacher,” an honorific title.

3. A short story used in Zen practice to provoke the “great doubt.”