(Continued from page 13) Dharma the Cat

benefit Bodhi has been cast in the role of stepping into every spiritual pitfall that comes up, in order to kindly
demonstrate to us what not to do!. In this instance young Bodhi starts out with the right idea, which is to realize that all life is impermanent, including his precious sand castle (which he has built below the high tide line).  He wisely realizes there is no point in being attached to things which you will inevitably become separated from. However, even though Bodhi has managed to accept the impending destruction of his sand castle, he still clings to a romantic notion that he will watch the sand castle being gradually swept away by the incoming tide, as a sort of grand symbolic tribute to life and death.  Thus his non-attachment is only partial, and is quite conditional: he is prepared to accept the inevitable
demise of his creation only if it happens in a certain way.  So when Dharma and Siam run amok over the sand castle, Bodhi's automatic reflex is shock-horror.  And that is not only Bodhi's suffering, for imagine what consequences there will be for poor Dharma and Siam when they get home.  Bodhi's suffering, like everyone's, will ripple out to afflict others.   Thus when Bodhi succeeds in pursuing his spiritual path enough to get beyond his own suffering, others will benefit -- as they benefit from each of us being on our own path of sincerity and compassion.