How a puppy — not religious dogma — taught me humanity

I was once a zealous, fire-and-brimstone-spewing, injudicious, newly-minted born-again Christian like Manny Pacquiao.

I thumped the bible at every opportunity and lectured others who did not subscribe to my beliefs. I heard in church that people who did not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior were the ”unsaved,” that they were doomed to burn in hell no matter how good and kind they were as human beings, and I insensitively parroted this frightful imagery to whoever I thought was unsaved. 

Sanctimoniously I pitied them, and every day I gave pious thanks to the heavens that I was secure from the eternal damnation that awaited them.

In strict observance of my obligations and my new life as a born-again Christian, I attended church religiously, showed up in prayer meetings without fail, studied the bible daily and tried to live out its teachings... I gave tithes, avoided romantic relationships with the unsaved, denied my body its natural biological urges, and ran away screaming in fright of the devil whenever I heard “Hotel California” playing on the radio. I did all this for six years.

But despite all that, my spirit was still thirsty. 

For me, some part of the truth was missing, and my stunted soul remained in desperate search. So I studied other faiths. I attended their services, performed their poses, scrutinized their deities and prophets, and read their holy books. 

Only after I have investigated every major religion did I realize that the answer, at least for me, was not there.

It wasn't until some 20 years later when the answer came to me, and it was delivered in a most unexpected way — a dog came into our home, and it changed my life forever.

He was a helpless puppy when he was gifted to us. I saw how very much like a human baby he was, needing food, sleep, comforting, and cuddling. 

I gave him whatever he needed, but only because he was small and didn't have his mother, and I thought caring for him was the decent thing to do. 

As he grew, however, we became friends rather than infant and caregiver. And my passing concern for him became resolute affection. 

During our quiet times together, I would look into his eyes and see his gentle soul looking out from the inside. He would offer me his paw and I would feel a kind of affection I've never felt before. I thought to myself, I’ve found a true friend. 

Little did I realize then, he had begun to awaken my soul. When we begin to find joy in caring for someone who can never repay us or utter words of thanks, our spirit is stirred.

The little puppy is a grown dog now. He is well-formed and healthy, and he likes to play with another puppy we’ve since adopted. They roughhouse like human children, they fight over their toys, and they come running for cuddles when called. 

They love treats, hate bath time, love outdoor walks and car rides, and they are attached to us, their human family. 

When I realized how similar they were to human children, I released from their cages two other older dogs we've had in the yard for ages and another one whom we've kept caged inside the house. 

For the first time, their paws touched grass, and they felt sunshine on their faces. And for the first time, I cried about something that had nothing to do with myself.

I've asked for their forgiveness, and we’ve since become good friends. I still feel remorse for their previous enslavement, and I couldn't help overdoing it at times, hovering around them like a solicitous mother hen. They were taken away from their mothers as puppies, and I felt someone had to fill those shoes, so I did.

Before long, without deliberate thought on my part, I’ve extended this puppy care to humans, and not long after, to the earth. Without effort, I began to see the beauty in everything, even in tufts of grass and clumps of mushrooms. 

Then I began to travel extensively, to see what other beautiful things were out there that I didn’t know about. 

In my travels (mostly alone) I looked for quiet places where I could sit in solitude and watch the earth as it preened and displayed its awesome beauty---magnificent trees that grew from a single seed, splendid mountains that took millennia to rise, passing humans that took billions of years to evolve…

I didn’t need any indoctrination. Just from observing life unfold around me, genuine concern for all forms of life developed in my awakening soul.

Today, I am the most content I’ve ever been. I am fully awake now, and because I've learned empathy, I am finally living and not just existing. 

For me, there is meaning and purpose in every day. 

In addition to caring for our dogs, I've learned to take care of our family, our household, our wards… I work at a job I've learned to enjoy, a job that offers hope to downtrodden folks. 

I've learned to help people whenever I can, so that they too might someday have the means to help others. 

I've learned to speak out for the earth, for my country, for oppressed humans, for animals, for anyone else who I think needs defending. 

And for all that, I have our dogs to thank. Even without words, without verses, they taught me compassion. And even though they are animals, they taught me humanity.

From our dogs, I learned to give without expecting reward, return, or gratitude. I learned to love unconditionally and genuinely, and to take the cudgels for others. 

I realized that animals are us and we are them. I realized that love can transcend species. 

I realized that all the romantic “loves” I’ve had in the past were mere expectations of mutual attention (no offense to my exes), but I also learned that true love is possible. 

And finally, I realized that here at last was the answer to my lifelong search for the one truth that would rouse my soul. 

The truth for me turned out to be an old cliché, but I was providentially made to run around in circles first for more than 20 years so that I might fully appreciate the tremendous power of this truth when the right time came.

And so, serendipitously, here I am at the time that's right for me. And I’ve found that, quite simply, for me: LOVE is the answer. 

If we can learn to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, then I have no doubt this world would indeed be a better place. 

Religious dogma is plentiful and difficult to memorize; it is so much easier to remember to just love.

Love may seem like such a simplistic notion, but can you imagine if all our politicians loved us like they love themselves? Why, they wouldn’t rob us blind as they do now.

These past three years have been the most spiritually enriching in my life. 

My soul grew in enormous leaps I didn't foresee. And all because a dog unexpectedly came into our home and showed me that we are not much different from one another. 

Animals breathe, eat, sleep, play, love, breed, nurture, cuddle, cry, grieve… just like humans. 

How much more similar do you think we are among ourselves of the same species? Male, female, black, white, heterosexuals, homosexuals… we are all the same inside, in the heart, where it matters. 

Outside of the heart, everything is just clothing. Our gender, race, education, religion, social status, civil status… they are all just outward clothing. And we each can wear whatever clothes we want as long as we do no harm to others.

When we judge others we judge ourselves, for we are them and they are us.

For those who believe in no god, let us not force our gods upon them. Well-meaning as we may be, imposing our beliefs on others is an act of violence against them.

And for those who believe in a god, let us not judge them for the private things they do that don't affect our own lives. Judgment is a job for their god to do, not ours.

Each person has a unique spiritual journey. What works for Manny Pacquiao may not necessarily work for others. And what works for me is not guaranteed to work for you. 

The important thing is to find your own enlightenment, and for everyone to respect one another's journey. 

As for me, I travel because it's one way I nourish my soul. 

Nature is my church. In nature, I see quiet beauty, generosity, serenity, peace, resilience... things that I hope to perfect within myself. 

Nothing judges in nature. Nothing there has malice.