The Cat

02019-04-03 | Meditation | 2 comments

The cat stretches itself into a long line, then sits up. It appears to look into space, relaxed and unconcerned. Does it see ghosts? Does it dream with open eyes? I think it is practicing the Hunter Meditation.

I believe that a long time ago, perhaps tens of thousands of years ago, hunters discovered this form of mediation, different from what we today know as Yoga or Zen or Vipassana meditation, but perhaps different only in its goal. While most meditation practiced today aims to calm the person, to quiet or focus the mind, the Hunter Meditation had the simple goal of putting food on the table… and probably had interesting side effects other people eventually observed.

When tracking trophy a hunter might scan the horizon with his eyes, looking for the animal they want to kill. When looking for food a hunter, human or beast, doesn’t want to miss the nearby rabbit just because they are busy scanning the horizon. So, I imagine, the hunter sat quietly and opened their eyes to everything in their view, from one corner of the eye to the other. Most animals don’t see that which doesn’t move, and so the hunter’s stillness is better than the movement of searching. Keeping the head still and the eyes open, but not staring, not scanning, the hunter waits for any prey’s movement. The hunter’s breathing slows naturally, their eyes are soft but alert, and they become one with their surroundings.

2 Comments

  1. Banafsheh

    Sunny day..While this sweet boy, Flutie, purrs next to me I’m reading this delightful blog ..So beautifully written about such philosophical animal.. I am so in love with this beautiful boy ..He has witnessed the last 15 years of my life and shared his love with me. I could write all day about him. Have good one..

    Reply
  2. Brenda Merryfield

    I used to hunt and have experienced the type of seeing you describe.

    Reply

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