The Buddha In Us

There are heavy  and not so heavy reads. Then there are very light and comfy reads. There are comedies and romances. There are page turning thrillers, suspenses and mind boggling whodunnits and howdunnits. There are fun and cozy mysteries. Fantasies and mind awakening self helps, motivational and spiritual uplifters. But have you read a cute book ? A cute read?

Today I am going to tell you about one such book whose protagonist is Frederick or Freddie , the cat, who thinks he is Buddhist. He is curious, ambitious, an explorer, a knowledge seeker and like  a true Buddhist a thorough follower of the eightfold path of righteousness and good deeds. He believes in peaceful coexistence and the good side of humans and animals and birds and bees.

Freddie has been adopted by two loving and caring humans, John and Mary, and lives in a house with another cat called Gemma. Gemma is a contemptuous , opportunistic human hater with different levels of snear which she applies on Freddie to demean and intimidate him. In short, Gemma is the exact opposite of Freddie. Then there is Sid the Crow (along with his extended family), Freddie’s self appointed mentor, who makes it his mission to introduce Freddie to the neighborhood and caution him about not to cross the busy road without Rufus the Squirrel who is an expert navigator. There is also Freddie’s next door neighbour Holly the Hamster.

Freddie has been brought up well by his mum whom he misses very much. But he remembers all the lessons taught by her and follows them without fail. He is kind and respectful to all fellow animals and even non living things like the wire mesh which helps him climb up and down the gym. He bows to his bowl of food before eating. He chews his kibbles 42 times and leaves a little food in the bowl for the next meal. He does not overeat which keeps him svelte.

Being explorative he visits the kitchen and nibbles on forbidden food sometimes. Being observant he knows how to open the library (situated in the neighborhood) door working on pressure pads and also the photocopier. Being artistic he sits on the photocopier and makes a copy of his rear end. Being non materialistic and detached  he leaves his creation on the machine which is later discovered by the terrified, blue haired librarian, Angela or Ange, who thinks it’s a work of a ghost and gets the premise exorcised. Though Freddie is a bit hurt that the humans do not have the acumen to appreciate his artwork yet being soft hearted  Freddie feels sorry for the tearful and frightened Ange. Being friendly he gets along with all the neighborhood birds and animals. Being thankful he is filled with gratitude even for the littlest pleasures of day to day living (read exploring). He even bows to the Lancashire Rose, if you know what I mean. Being stoic Freddie takes fame like a “fleeting  comet in the sky”. Being philosophical he observes, “The more I travel, the less I know about where I’m going. There’s no time like the present.”

Freddie’s human parent, John, is also appreciated by the birds and squirrels because he leaves nuts and seeds for them and cleans the litters off the park.

However, nobody likes Gemma who spreads negativity by her hateful and scornful attitude towards all and sundry. She criticizes Freddie for being collaborative with the humans. She does not approve of Freddie being pally with the crows. She cynically notes that it will not take minutes for them to pick on Freddie’s carnal remains if he happens to get crushed while crossing the road. But Freddie being Freddie , is not bothered about what happens to his carcass  once the soul leaves his body.

For Freddie every day is today. Not yesterday or tomorrow. Being a voracious reader and philomath he is keen on visiting the library at least once a week which requires him to master the exit and entry without getting noticed. He is helped by the corvine team in this adventure. Being innovative he finds ways and means to take Holly and Rufus along with him to the library.

But this book is not about Freddie’s exploits in the library or the park. It’s about him being empathic to his fellow creatures. It’s about observing them and not just seeing them. Understanding them and just not watching them. To know who needs help in what and how to make it possible for them to be better placed in life.

Being a good listener and despite his differences with Gemma he listens to her and learns why she is so hateful towards humans. Every reaction has a reason. Freddie’s compassionate heart touches Gemma  and some of his “Buddhist” traits rub on her too in the long run.

The characters of this book may seem like those out of a kid’s play. But Julian Worker ensures that they exude charm and higher intelligence so that there’s something for the humans to learn from them.

This book can have a wide spectrum of readership – from kids to young adults to adults. Every age group can perceive the story and the characters in their own way. For some it can be just a fun read. For others it can have a deeper meaning.

I think what the author wants to make his readers meditate over is who we want to become? Do we wish to become like Freddie who lives life fully and honestly in the moment? Or like Gemma who carries baggage that makes her see the world through the lens of cynicism, anger and vindictiveness?

Think over…