The Mysterious Cat
This morning before David and I went to the Yoga Shakti Mission for an illuminating talk on butterfly gardening. David mentioned that our dear friend Beverly was convinced that her cat could see spirits.
I had heard about this before and thought it may be plausible but still felt skeptical. So, I responded, “well no one really knows with absolute certainty that cats can see spirits.
We took off for our butterfly lecture and I put the conversation out of my mind. Later, as I sat with Shyama the Caretaker of the ashram, somehow, we started talking about cats and I related what was said earlier about cats being able to see spirits. Shyama with her calm unassuming manner related an intriguing and eye opening incident. This happened at a nursing home I believe in England. Apparently, there were cats at the nursing home and the staff noticed that whenever the cat sat on the bed of an elderly resident and gazed at him or her, invariably the resident would die 2 days later. This happened so repeatedly, the staff would alert the family members of the elderly resident on whose bed the cat sat.
God is so amazing and His leelas are beyond our ken. It was His way of confirming that cats do indeed
sense spirits. Here is some interesting esoteric information on cats and their mysterious ways:
Ancient Egypt
“One of the most famous cases of cats being seen as extremely special supernatural beings is of course ancient Egypt. While they were not exactly worshiped as is the common misconception, they were still kept in very high esteem as they kept rodents away and were skilled natural hunters. The Egyptian goddess of protection and fertility known as Bastet (or merely Bast) was often seen in the mythology as a cat or enjoyed the ability to take on the form of a cat. This religious link meant that most Egyptians paid great respect to domestic cats in case the feline happened to be the goddess in her primordial form. The tie between Bastet and cats allowed pet cats to enjoy liberties not given to other household pets such as the freedom to come and go as they pleased rather than being caged or leashed. Having a loyal household cat was also thought to be lucky as it would act as a protective spirit over the house and the house’s inhabitants with its natural magic and connection to such a powerful goddess in the Egyptian pantheon.”
Norse
“Even though most people tend to restrict their views of the ancient Norse culture to manly Vikings and the raven carrying god Odin, there was a more feminine aspect to this ancient civilization and religion that embraced cats as special creatures. The Norse goddess of fertility and love named Freya (also spelled Freja, Freyja, Freija, or Freiya), which literally translates as “Lady” and is the source for the day of the week known being called Friday, was closely associated with cats in addition to her prowess over the magical realm. Her personal transport of a beautiful chariot was pulled by two large gray (or in some stories black) cats and domesticated cats were thought to be her liaisons to the mortal realm, signifying good luck and a happy home life to those who kept cats in their home by taking care of them and feeding them. These cats were also given a certain amount of freedom as the cats were supposed to be helpers of Freya whenever she called upon them or needed assistance.”
“Even though most people tend to restrict their views of the ancient Norse culture to manly Vikings and the raven carrying god Odin, there was a more feminine aspect to this ancient civilization and religion that embraced cats as special creatures. The Norse goddess of fertility and love named Freya (also spelled Freja, Freyja, Freija, or Freiya), which literally translates as “Lady” and is the source for the day of the week known being called Friday, was closely associated with cats in addition to her prowess over the magical realm. Her personal transport of a beautiful chariot was pulled by two large gray (or in some stories black) cats and domesticated cats were thought to be her liaisons to the mortal realm, signifying good luck and a happy home life to those who kept cats in their home by taking care of them and feeding them. These cats were also given a certain amount of freedom as the cats were supposed to be helpers of Freya whenever she called upon them or needed assistance.”
Burma
“The sacred Burmese cat is one of the most special cats to that part of south east Asia, having a story for its own origins of the specific breed that involved the cat being tender and caring toward a murdered monk. It is believed that the holy Kittah (monks of the ancient religion in the area) was blessed by the goddess Tsun Kyan-Kse to be reincarnated in the form of these special felines upon their deaths. They will then live out one life as a cat before immediately ascending to Nirvana where they will rest comfortably with a shimmering, golden halo to denote their unique status in this paradise beyond the mortal human realm. Anyone who kills one of these beautiful cats with brown extremities, white paws, golden fur upon its center body, and blue eyes (even if the death of the animal was an accident) was to be condemned to suffer incredibly cruel torments until the injured soul of the reincarnated monk was appeased.”
“The sacred Burmese cat is one of the most special cats to that part of south east Asia, having a story for its own origins of the specific breed that involved the cat being tender and caring toward a murdered monk. It is believed that the holy Kittah (monks of the ancient religion in the area) was blessed by the goddess Tsun Kyan-Kse to be reincarnated in the form of these special felines upon their deaths. They will then live out one life as a cat before immediately ascending to Nirvana where they will rest comfortably with a shimmering, golden halo to denote their unique status in this paradise beyond the mortal human realm. Anyone who kills one of these beautiful cats with brown extremities, white paws, golden fur upon its center body, and blue eyes (even if the death of the animal was an accident) was to be condemned to suffer incredibly cruel torments until the injured soul of the reincarnated monk was appeased.”
Siam
“The Siamese cat is one of the most popular breeds of feline even in today’s world because of its unique beauty. Similar to the mythology surrounding the Burmese cats, the special Siamese cats were also thought to house the souls of those who had already passed on—particularly the recently deceased king of Siam. In order to be present at the coronation of the new king, the previous king that just died would be reincarnated as a Siamese cat before moving on in attainment of heaven. Since the feline body housed the spirit of the previous monarch, these special cats were treated like members of the royal family just as the king would have been if his spirit was in his natural human form which included residence in the royal palace with a very luxurious lifestyle for a cat until its time had come to die of old age when it would be buried with a great deal of pomp so that the spirit of the dead king would finally move on to heaven.”
Source: http://www.paranormalhaze.com/the-magic-of-cats/
“The Siamese cat is one of the most popular breeds of feline even in today’s world because of its unique beauty. Similar to the mythology surrounding the Burmese cats, the special Siamese cats were also thought to house the souls of those who had already passed on—particularly the recently deceased king of Siam. In order to be present at the coronation of the new king, the previous king that just died would be reincarnated as a Siamese cat before moving on in attainment of heaven. Since the feline body housed the spirit of the previous monarch, these special cats were treated like members of the royal family just as the king would have been if his spirit was in his natural human form which included residence in the royal palace with a very luxurious lifestyle for a cat until its time had come to die of old age when it would be buried with a great deal of pomp so that the spirit of the dead king would finally move on to heaven.”
Source: http://www.paranormalhaze.com/the-magic-of-cats/
Sri Namasimha
Golden Lions, Big Cats guard the gates of Heaven and The Lord of the Universe, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
