Lesson from a goat

I was devouring a favorite dish of mine at a bakery near my yoga class. It was the delicious 'coconut ball' that I was eating - a favorite of mine, after a long time because I have been going slow on eating at bakeries these days! As I was happily lost in eating it, a goat, fairly well built, came near me and was looking at me in a way that appeared to me to be a longing want for food. I was soon to realize that it was simply my conditioned way of thinking.

After some time, I thought may be I should give it some food and I threw a bit of my 'coconut ball', fairly nonchalantly to its right. I usually do this with crows and dogs and typically they go way sniffing at the food item immediately. If they like, they quickly eat it and then come for more. I was waiting for this scene to be played out yet again but I was in for a total surprise. I've had experience of dogs sniffing the stuff I gave them and refusing to eat them (a lesson in itself for humans who gobble pretty much everything), but I was least prepared for what the goat did next.

It paid zero attention to the crumb I had thrown it so mechanically. It didnt even flinch and continued to look at me. I thought it had missed my hand movement. So, I took some more of the coconut ball, and showed it in front of it and deliberately dropped it right in front of it. This time I was sure it would go away. But I was wrong again. Absolutely no response to the food I threw for the second time. At this point, I woke from my mechanical existence!

I didnt know what to do next. It slowly took a step towards me and brought its mouth close to me almost as if asking me to give food directly to it. I was apprehensive for I didnt know how it would be to have my fingers inside a goats mouth. I withdrew. It stared at me for a few seconds and then slowly walked away without much fuss.

For a few seconds, my mind started racing justifying my acts and sarcastically wondering at the goats gumption to be expected to be fed directly and not be thrown food at. Thankfully, I caught myself and took stock of the situation. I realized how stupid I was being. I took my share of the food, put the rest on the piece of paper I was having and placed it, far more humbly than previous time, in front of the goat. Finally, the goat paid some attention to the food and ate it!

What a startling and eye opening moment it was for me! I was a first hand witness to how the 'arrogance of the giver' springs from the 'ignorance of duality', that there is a giver and a taker. When, all such duality vanishes, there is humility and then there is only giving and taking, no giver and no taker! Thanks to the goat for being an instrument of such an important learning for me!