The Art of Purring Quotes

“A reaction is automatic, habitual,” Ludo said. “A response is considered. That’s the difference. What’s important is to create space, to open ourselves up to possibilities beyond the habitual, which rarely serve us well. Anger is never an enlightened response. We may be wrathful—speaking in mock-angry tones to stop a child who is about to step near a fire, for example—but that’s very different from real anger.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“For those beings with a broader perspective of Planet Earth, boredom is sometimes accompanied by a darker companion—guilt. We know that compared to many others, our lives are actually quite comfortable. We don’t live in a war zone or in abject poverty; we don’t have to dwell in the shadows on account of our gender or religious opinions. We’re free to eat, dress, live, and walk however we like, thank you very much. But even so, we’re bored beyond measure.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Be wisely selfish, little Snow Lion. Gain happiness for yourself by giving it to others.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Shantideva. the Indian Buddhist sage, talks about licking honey off the edge of a blade. No matter how sweet, the price we pay is much higher.

By wallowing in my own nostalgic memories, spending so much time thinking about a relationship that had moved on, I had been needlessly carrying pain. Suffering.

We begin to believe that our happiness depends on a certain outcome or person or lifestyle. That's the superstition.

It can be useful to have goals. Purpose. But we should never believe that our happiness depends on achieving them. The two are really quite separate.

Don't allow your thoughts to be like thieves, stealing your own contentment.

Thinking too much about oneself is a cause of much suffering, the Dalai Lama said. Anxiety, depression, resentment, fear - these become much worse with too much attention to the self. The mantra "me, me, me" is not so good.”
― David Michie, The Art of Purring

“Thinking too much about oneself is a cause of much suffering,” the Dalai Lama said. “Anxiety, depression, resentment, fear—these become much worse with too much attention to the self. The mantra Me, me, me is not so good.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“The Holy Secret is this: If you wish to end your suffering, seek to end the suffering of others. If you wish for happiness, seek the happiness of others. Exchanging thoughts of self for thoughts of others—this is the most effective way to be happy.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“The problem,” observed a tall Indian man sitting next to Serena, “is that we get stuck in our comfort zone, even when it isn’t very comfortable.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Would I have fared better if I had stood my ground and stared down my pursuers? Could so-called self-preservation sometimes backfire and become the very cause of pain?”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Enduring happiness was only possible with equanimity. As long as our happiness depended on circumstances, it would be as fleeting and unreliable as the events themselves.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“When you say ‘This is a bad thing that’s happening,’ how often are you wrong?”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“I sometimes think the past is a dangerous place to go looking for happiness,” said the Indian man sitting next to Serena.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“So how do we know,” asked Serena, “when something that has been positive in the past has outlived its usefulness?” Ludo looked over at her with eyes so clear they seemed almost silver. “When it causes us to suffer,” he replied simply. “Suffer comes from a Latin word meaning to carry. And while pain is sometimes unavoidable, suffering is not. For instance, we may have a very happy relationship with someone, and then we lose the person. We feel pain, of course: that’s natural. But when we continue to carry that pain, feeling constantly bereft, that’s suffering.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Fourth: no swamp, no lotus. The most transcendent of flowers grows out of the filth of the swamp. Suffering is like the swamp. If it makes us more humble, more able to sympathize with others and more open to them, then we become capable of transformation and of becoming truly beautiful, like the lotus.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“aim at success,’” he read. “‘The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue … as the unintended side effect of one’s dedication to a course greater than oneself.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“It is to heal the body, soothe the mind, and give joy to the heart, Because it is your beloved’s lap that you are sitting on.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Yes, dear reader, that’s the other reason we cats purr. Arguably, it’s the most important reason: to make you happy. Purring is our V—our way of reminding you that you are loved and special, and that you should never forget how we feel about you, especially when you’re vulnerable. What’s more, purring is our way of ensuring your good health. Studies show that having a feline companion reduces stress and lowers the blood pressure of humans. Cat owners are significantly less likely to have heart attacks than people who live in a catless world.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Don’t aim at success,’” he read. “‘The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue … as the unintended side effect of one’s dedication to a course greater than oneself.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Four tools.
First: Impermanence. Never forget: This, too Will pass.
Second: What is point of worrying? If you can do something about it, fix it. If not, what is the point of worrying about it? Let go!
Third: Don't judge. No matter how bad it seems at the time. You may be completely wrong.
Fourth: No swamp, no lotus. Suffering is like swamp. If it makes us more humble, more able to sympathize with others and more open to them, then we become capable of transformation and becoming truly beautiful, like lotus.”
― David Michie, The Art of Purring

“Thinking too much of happiness is suffering” the Dalai lama said “ Anxiety, depression, resentment, fear – these become much worse with too much attention to the self. The mantra me, me, me is not so good”
― David Michie, The Art of Purring

“We begin to believe that our happiness depends on a certain outcome or person or lifestyle. That is superstition.”
― David Michie, The Art of Purring

“When you have that contentment within, whether or not you achieve your goals, I think success becomes more likely.” “The paradox of nonattachment,” agreed Serena.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, Even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth. It is to build a house with affection, Even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house. It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, Even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“It is not morbid, not depressing to contemplate one’s own death. Completely the opposite! It is only when we have faced the reality of our own death that we really know how to live.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“If any object, achievement, or relationship was a true cause of happiness, then whoever had such a thing should be happy. But no such thing has ever been found,” continued Lobsang. “What’s saddest of all is that if we believe that our happiness depends on something we don’t currently have, then we can’t be happy here and now. Yet here and now is the only time we can be happy. We can’t be happy in the future; it doesn’t yet exist.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“To help others achieve that we must first remove what is obscuring our own mind. Then, like the doctor, our capacity to help is very much greater.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“The only time we can experience happiness is in this moment, here and now.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“A reaction is automatic, habitual,” Ludo said. “A response is considered.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“In the stillness we discover that there are other ways of knowing things than through the intellect.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“Don’t try to avoid tightness by getting into a compromised posture; instead breathe through it! Not with force but with wisdom. Use your breath to create openness. Breath by breath, subtle change is possible. Each breath is a step to transformation.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring

“We cannot work on the body unless we also work on the mind.”
― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Art of Purring