Long Live the Squirrels

Long live the squirrels who wave their pretty tails
Long live the squirrels who radiate their mirth
Let us protect and love these little friends
They guard the Sun and anchor peace on Earth.

Once long ago I was a little squirrel
Played in the dirt and planted lots of trees
I fell asleep in yonder Bodhi tree
When I awoke I lived a life of ease.

Long live the squirrels who shower us with Grace
Long live the ones who wander near and far
Bask in their Light and listen to their hearts
They'll always guide you to your brightest star.

May you be blest to love a baby squirrel
May you be graced to hold his tiny paw
Once you have kissed her tender furry belly
Your heart will bloom and fill your life with awe.

Long live the squirrels who wave their pretty tails
Long live the squirrels who radiate their mirth
Let us give thanks and shower them with love
They guard the Sun and anchor peace on Earth.

They guard the Sun and anchor peace on Earth.

Mr.Nut Honors Sri Toofie Ji

Jai Jai Toofie Ji

"The sadhu-squirrel is the happy child of God.

She has no worries,

having left the cares of the world behind.

Sitting joyfully on the lap of God,

she abides in undisturbed peace,

effortlessly immersed in the Supreme."

~adapted from Mooji's quote in "Writing on Water"

Morning Meditation with Mr.Nut

Just this morning during our squirrel-bonding-coffee-sipping-meditation, Mr.Nut suggested to me that I include some words about Toofie Ji on his own blog.  I thought that was very sweet of him...  Mr.Nut is so thoughtful and does not see himself as separate from anyone!

Like his wise sister, ToofieJi, Mr.Nut is a gentle soul that exemplifies the ultimate in the purity of unconditional love.  He asked me to include one of Mooji's verses that describe the essence of squirrel luminosity: 


"There is a great compassion
in total helplessness.
Stop trying to wriggle out of it.
 Surrender!
Then you will see with serenity
 that this is Grace
 in disguise,
come to set your mind free.

~Mooji

Satsang with Mr.Nut

   Satsang, in Indian philosophy, means to keep the company of:  the "highest truth", a guru who embodies that truth, or a community of people that live by that truth.

   The awesome thing about squirrels is that they are not troubled by thoughts of the past or future. They live in the now, because for them, there is nothing else.  

         

    That makes them the best gurus.  Native Americans have long observed and admired the balanced lives of the animals.

For them, the animals were their teachers and they taught them about "Great Mystery".  Today in our fast-paced world, the language might be different, but the teachings remain the same.  Another word for "Great Mystery" is "Tao" or "The Way" or simply "What Is".  Many awakened humans are here on the planet today and what they are saying is no different than what the Indigenous peoples have been practicing for decades! 

     To slow down and connect to Nature is even more important now because there are so many things in our lives that distract us from this calming practice!  To visit the parks, the woods, hug a tree, feed the birds and the squirrels, or to simply "sit" outside under the Sun and Moon are all great ways to bring ourselves back into balance... and give us serenity!

      I have been caring for injured and orphaned squirrels for about 10 years now, and I am constantly in awe of their innate intelligence. That is why I have decided to share some of the beautiful teachings that my beloved squirrel, Mr.Nut, aka NuttyJi, has shared with me.  Mr.Nut has encouraged me to get him out there on the internet so he can help with our Awakening process!  

     So, below, is the first of many satsangs to come:  

" Be the squirrel you want 
to see in the world!"

Sri Bucky Ji
Beloved Guru 2009-2011

Wisdom of the Satsquirrel

The third eye chakra is believed to be the channel through which humankind opens spiritually to the Divine. The red powder known as kumkum is placed at this point to keep out negative thoughts.  In this photo you can see the face of little Muffin, a sat-squirrel, resting at this chakra.  His job, like the kumkum, is to keep the mind clear of negative thinking.  That is one thing you can always be sure of... little squirrels never entertain any negative thoughts!  (Actually they don't have any thoughts at all.)

    Mr.Nut, my satsquirrel, reminds me to rest and allow everything to be as it is. In a recent satsang, Mr.Nut relayed the details of the Buddha's awakening.  He said that in his feverish quest for enlightenment, the Buddha practically wore himself out with hundreds of sadhanas and austere practices.  On that particular day, approximately 2500 years ago, he finally reached that place of surrender; he realized that he could not reach enlightenment by his own "doing". Tired and exhausted, he sat down under the Bodhi tree.  A little satsquirrel resting on a branch just above his head, whispered to Gautama... "Just rest as the looking"!

Most people don't realize that is how the Buddha became enlightened!  It was because of this direct transmission of Cosmic consciousness from the little squirrel in the Bodhi tree. Today there are literally thousands of satsquirrels working round the clock to awaken humanity!  

And if you are lucky enough, a little squirrel might just bless you with wisdom when you sit under his tree!  

LOVE... too big to hold on to!

Mr.Nut Guiding Light

Today Mr.Nut is running all over the living room and jumping against the front door wanting to go outside.  His brothers, Sweet Pea and Bucky (II) are settled in the neighborhood and come back for food and water and the occasional nap in the release cage.  It is mid December and we haven't really gotten to the cold weather yet.  Since he needs to spend 3 to 4 weeks in the release cage prior to full freedom, I can't really do that until the winter is over.

I am now clearly seeing my attachment to this sweet sweet soul, my beloved Mr.Nut.  At this same time a year ago, I was facing the death of my beloved Bucky squirrel.  He left this earth on Christmas Eve;  a tumor called an odontoma invaded his sinus cavity and he could no longer breathe. When Bucky flew back to the Sun, I experienced the vastness of LOVE and had the experience that no one can ever leave...
consciousness never dies!

Isn't it interesting how LOVE is just too big to hold on to? I can't hold on to Mr.Nut... he is LOVE in a little squirrel body and he goes with the flow.  And it looks like the flow is for him to join his brothers outside...




We just never know how long we have with anyone...  a friend, a spouse, a beloved animal, a baby squirrel! That's a great reason to be totally present with them when they are beside us and let them know how much we love them!

I know the time is short for Mr.Nut to be living in the house with me and I am grateful every night when I tuck him in and rub his furry belly!  Ah... to be this intimate with a little squirrel is HEAVEN!...

I LOVE YOU MR.NUT!





  

The Wisdom Light of Mr.Nut

The best teachers are those who show you where to look,

but don't tell you what to see.   ~Alexandra K.Trenfor

Every morning I wake up and feel so much gratitude for the gift of living with this amazing squirrel teacher! 

Mr.Nut may not say a word, 

but he speaks volumes through his actions.

He is tender, forthright, generous, and kind. He  has more integrity in the tip of his ear than many people practice in their whole life. When he sets his sight on a goal,

he sticks with it until it's accomplished.

Mr.Nut's brothers, Sweet Pea and Bucky are currently visiting the release cage outside the front door.  They are integrating into the neighborhood and come back for food and water and the occasional nap.  Since the cage is mostly empty, I give Mr.Nut the choice to play in it. And also to see if he would actually prefer to be outside. However, today he made it clear that he was perfectly content to relax upon his favorite perch, on top of the bookshelf next to the front door.  He is teaching me how to be still and just enjoy the present moment!

Mr.Nut is a master of surrender!  Sometimes when he sleeps, he lays belly up, exposing his tender side.

I rub his furry belly and he relaxes even further. He demonstrates such sweet vulnerbility and the ease of trusting in the flow of life. 

Lately Mr.Nut has been hanging out at the door and the window sills. A few times he has lunged at the screen door and it seems he is wanting to move outide.  Just the thought of him leaving weighs heavy on my heart. I love Mr.Nut like no other and I fear it's time for me to let go and allow him his freedom. I am seeing how attached I've become to this sweet being!  It was about a year ago that I said goodbye to Bucky and I didn't think I would ever love another squirrel like I loved him.  And yet, less than 2 months after Bucky died, I was brought a fallen nest of baby squirrels which included Mr.Nut! 

Just yesterday I received this awesome video of Byron Katie called "Dying Into Love".  It's exactly what I needed to hear as I contemplate my love for Mr.Nut and what "LOVE" really means:

 

LOVE is ALL

All is LOVE

In the Eye of a Squirrel

                 Seeing God in the Eye of Toofie Squirrel

We live in auspicious times! So many things that were hidden are now being found!  You may or may not be familiar with some ancient texts called the Nag Hammadi Library.  One of the books in this text is called the Gospel of Thomas.

 In 1897 and 1903, three ancient fragments from Greek versions of the Gospel of Thomas were discovered during archeological excavations on the site of an ancient town in Egypt, eventually recovering over 5000 fragments of ancient Greek texts.  The Nag Hammadi discovery in 1945 unearthed a complete and well-preserved version of the Gospel of Thomas in Coptic and made it possible to definitely identify the fragments from a lost Greek edition of the gospel.  In this lost book is found some pretty awesome quotations: 

"The kingdom of God is within you and all about you,

 not in a mansion of wood and stone.  Cleave a piece of wood and God is there, lift a stone and you 

will find God." vs.77

His disciples said to Him,"When will the Kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying, 'Here it is' or 'There it is'. Rather,

 the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth,

 and men do not see it." vs.113

While I was researching the Gospel of Thomas, Mr.Nut brought to my attention another text that was found earlier this year.  Mr.Nut told me an Italian tourist was visiting Jerusalem and decided to check out the Dead Sea. He booked a room at the Tulip Inn Dead Sea Hotel and spent three days walking along the shore of the Dead Sea. On the third day, he noticed an old bottle that had washed up and had gotten stuck in the sand. To his utter astonishment, inside the bottle, he found an ancient text called  الانجيل من السنجاب which is Arabic for "Gospel of Squirrel".

 I personally think it had been preserved by the Dead Sea Squirrels all these years.

  My feeling is that the squirrels were trying to help preserve these wisdom texts for a later time in history when people could actually understand what was written.  Here are a couple of the quotes:

"The KIngdom of God is within you and all around you, not in a mansion of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood and God is there.  Look into the eye of a squirrel and you will find God there also." 

"The foxes have their holes and the squirrels have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest."

"If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give it to one from whom you will not get it back.  Better yet, purchase sacks of nuts and feed your squirrels."

"The KIngdom of God is spread out over the entire earth.  Men do not see it, but squirrels see it and know it.  The day will come when squirrels will teach men about the Kingdom of God and in that day men will awaken."

Losing the Moon

Mr.Nut on the Moon

Since Mr.Nut has resumed resting happily inside the house these days, he's started channelling amazing squirrel wisdom again.  His brothers, Sweet Pea and Bucky are currently in the outdoor cage acclimating to the sounds and weather and awaiting their release into the neighborhood later this week.

This morning while I was enjoying my morning coffee, Mr.Nut brought my attention back to Byron Katie's book, "Losing the Moon".  We were enjoying our daily squirrel-bonding  meditation, in which Mr.Nut climbs on my head and graciously infuses squirrelove 
into my crown chakra.

Mr.Nut infusing Squirrel Wisdom

Suddenly Mr.Nut proclaimed,
"There is no moon.
There is no Mr.Nut.
You are the moon.
You are Mr.Nut.
 Before you put your attention on anything,
does it even exist?
Lose the story of the moon and you lose the story of Mr.Nut.
Without the story of Mr.Nut...
JUST LOVE!
... nothing exists but LOVE!

Could it be that he was trying to prepare me to let go?

And yet, there is nothing to hold on to!

Nothing is real...

not even a little squirrel!

I love you Mr.Nut.

 or perhaps it's just "I love".

or maybe just...

LOVE!

Mr.Nut Goes Outside!

Well, inevitably the day arrived when Mr.Nut put his paw down! He has tired of being confined to a small space and has made it very clear to me that it's high time he took the leap into unknown.  Reluctantly, yet knowing in my heart he was right, I put him in the very spacious (8x6x3ft) release cage outside my front door.  Our Texas summer heat precludes a release in the summer months and the weekend cool front coincided with his new interest in expanding his territory. 

The weather cooperated nicely for the first two days.  Mr.Nut had not quite anticipated the difference in environment and seemed quite puzzled with his new, much larger abode.  He just didn't quite know what to make of it. Every new noise seemed to startle him and he spent most of the time hiding in a corner of the cage under some blankets. He did seem relieved whenever I would join him in the cage.  Then we could wrestle and play like before, but now there was so much more space! 

Today on day 4, the temp reached up into the mid-90's and I went out to check up on him around 3pm.  There he was, laying on his back panting very fast and hard, and looking rather uncomfortable. I picked him up (with no resistance from him whatsoever), laid him in his small cage, and brought him into the cool air-conditioned house.  He rested and we played and he seemed relieved to be back inside.

Mr.Nut just hangin' out!

We'll try again when the weather cooperates.... in the meantime, I'll sing a song for Mr.Nut!  I'll bet you know this one:

Amazing Squirrel

Grace of Mr.Nut

Amazing Grace how sweet the squirrel
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found.
A squirrel did rescue me!

T'was a squirrel that taught my heart to feel
A squirrel, my fears relieved.
How precious did that squirrel appear
The hour I first believed!

Amazing Grace, how blessed am I 
To live with a bodhi-squirrel
His constant grace shines on my face
I'm such a lucky girl!

I once assumed that I knew more
Than baby squirrels so sweet
But now I see their wisdom heart
And lay down at their feet.

Amazing squirrel how sweet the soul
That saved a fool like me
I once believed that I knew best 
But now follow my squirrel's lead.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun;
We've no less days to sing squirrels' praise
Than when we've first begun!

Amazing squirrel how sweet you are
To save a fool like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see!