Dog Prays at Japanese Zen Temple

NAHA, Japan — At a Zen Buddhist temple in southern Japan, even the dog prays. Mimicking his master, priest Joei Yoshikuni, a 1 1/2-year-old black-and-white Chihuahua named Conan joins in the daily prayers at Naha's Shuri Kannondo temple, sitting up on his hind legs and putting his front paws together before the altar.

It took him only a few days to learn the motions, and now he is the talk of the town.

"Word has spread, and we are getting a lot more tourists," Yoshikuni said Monday.

Yoshikuni said Conan generally goes through his prayer routine at the temple in the capital of Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture (state) without prompting before his morning and evening meals.

"I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it, too," Yoshikuni said.

The priest is now trying to teach him how to meditate.

Well, sort of.

"Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate," he explained. "It's not like we can make him cross his legs."

Comments

[Pandu]

No doubt the dog is asking the guy for a biscuit or something. I guess people consider that prayer. Actually prayer is asking God, "What can I do for You?"

[Ramirez]

Zen dogs are cool.

[QueenCeleste]

Too damn cute.

[jaycg9]

It's sad that a dog doing a cute trick is now a tourist attraction. There are a lot more valuable things to see in Japan.

[caracas]

HuffPost's Pick

Those who love dogs discover that they can surprise us in an infinite number of ways.

[maitresse]

MY dog does yoga when I do: if I'm doing downward-facing dog, so is he!

The crow pose is a little more difficult for him.

[sparkey]

I think it's a little bit more simple. Doggie see, doggie do.

[protagonia]

"Nama - STAY!"

[jneems]

This reminds me of a true story I read of a woman who lived in Tibet and was training to become a monk. There was another young American man also studying there who was quiet, and walked with a limp. Every day the monks were awakened and summoned to the temple by the ringing of a bell. The woman did well, but the young man was troubled and he eventually committed suicide. At that same time, a cat gave birth to several kittens. One of the kittens would come each morning to the temple when it heard the bells ringing and it would sit on the steps outside. Because the kitten also walked with a limp, it was rumored that the young man had reincarnated and desired to resume his Buddhist studies.. If this were the case, then perhaps this dog is not just copying the monks, but was actually a monk in a previous incarnation...??

[transendentilist]

If he were reincarnated, he wouldn't have the limp.

[jneems]

Read the work of Dr. Ian Stevenson who documented many persons carrying over physical manifestations from a prior life. I don't know either way - just sharing the story of what the monks in the story believed.

[Metacortex]

Dyslexic monk Prays to DOG.

[protagonia]

Metacortex See Profile I'm a Fan of Metacortex
Dyslexic monk Prays to DOG
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LOL!

[geobushono]

Dyslexic Monk meditates on god.

[Arithrianos]

I disagree. All living things ARE Buddha nature, nothing else exists to do the possessing.

[evildoer]

mu

[SignifyingMonkey]

I always thought that koan should have read, "Does a COW have Buddhanature?" "Muuuuuuuu!"

[Kalima]

That's nice. Now if they would only spend the same amount of time on stray cats, we would be 100%.

[mxaxm]

I love this little enlightened one! He inspired a post about Eastern dog art on my blog Dog Art Today...

[bobdob]

But does the dog have Buddha nature?

[tony5000]

all living beings have Buddha nature

[trance]

Does the buddha have Dog nature

[SignifyingMonkey]

An injured yellow lab showed up in my back yard one day looking for water. By the type of leg injuries he suffered, I could tell that he had apparently fallen or jumped out of the bed of a passing pick-up and hit the asphalt on all-four shins and tummy. His owner probably didn't realize his dog was gone until he got home then coudn't find him along the route.. It must have been at least a week after his accident because the dog was totally emaciated as well.

I cleaned him up and took him to my vet, who treated him for several days and named him Buddy. Over several weeks as he recovered, I was surprised to see how sweet natured this dog was, particularly to my other dogs. When I was teaching him to fetch he accidently stepped on the paws of Betsy, my mixed Australian Shepard/Collie, whereupon he immediately returned to check on her before running after the ball.

The next time we returned to the vet I had them add a sir name to his records: His proper name is now Buddy Sattva and he continues to do honor to the name.