Pixie update: 

Looking at Pixie is just so refreshing. It also makes me very philosophical.
The little thing doesnt care for who I am, what my status in life is, whether I am rich or poor, educated or illiterate, good human being or bad, ugly or pretty, popular or painful, smart or dull, intelligent or dumb. She simply likes me. Period.
Each time she sees me, she wags her tail fast and hard like a pendulum.  And she will continue to like me so long as I dont hurt her. It's that simple for animals. Especially dogs. She does not make cold calculations like human beings about whether I will be useful to her, whether she needs to be nice to me, whether she needs to be in my good books, or even whether she needs me. She has no ego and her love is there. Unquestioning and undemanding. Not like a mother as she did not create me. Not like a sibling as they are related and therefore open to the charge of selfish love. Not like a friend because friends can change. And Pixie doesnt.

I am constantly judging her on multiple factors: she is looking cuter today; oh, her stomach is sticking out; she should have slightly bigger eyes; etc. I drool over her because she is so intelligent. She has figured I dont like being touched. So this smart kid who used to lunge at my feet previously now comes close, smells them and stops short of touching them till I give her the green signal -- if I dont protest, she licks gently and leaves it at that. If I protest slightly, she simply walks off, subsuming her innate playfulness in what I presume is a dominant concern for my likes and dislikes. [She is not as charitable with other passers-by. Buoyant and bubbling with mischief, she virtually climbs up every human leg she gets to see around her, probably in a bid to stave off her loneliness. :-(  ]

I find this sweetness in her extremely endearing. And then, I wonder, would I, on the other hand, have been as charmed if she had been different? If she had been a bit dumb or a bit dull? Or not half as cute? I am forever making inferences based on my perception of Pixie and my interactions with her. Whereas Pixie is absolutely non-judgmental. She accepts me as I am, warts and all. In fact, she doesnt even recognise them nor does she bother identifying them. Unlike human beings who spend every moment of their lives compulsively and instantaneously putting a value on everything and everyone we see or come in touch with.
Pixie is as happy with me now as she would be if I were the prime minister or had won the Nobel Prize for my pontifications. My worldly appearance or engagements make no difference to her. Her world view is moulded by a simply set of equations determined by one benchmark -- love.

Now look at us going about our ways in a pre-set, pre-determined fashion that is always, inevitably, unconditionally governed by a single principle of utility. Our family ties (often), friends (mostly), social networks, are chiefly dictated by our self-interest, and even when it is not, we are constantly playing the judging game. We like X because she writes well, we like Y because he looks good,  Z is good company.
There is always a 'takeaway'. There is some self-oriented  reason we like what we like and dislike what we dislike. Good looks give us pleasure, good writing brings us joy and so on.

We are rarely as fond of a person who looks ugly, is not demonstrably good at anything and also not remotely important in the complicated web of sansar we have woven around ourselves. Had this ugly good-for-nothing at least been a smart networker, he would have earned himself some respect.

Dealing with Pixie, in a sense, has been a spiritual experience for me, which makes all of life's worries, anxieties and selfishness appear just so so small and hollow. She embodies purity in a way we can never quite understand, let alone, appreciate.

Thank you, sweetie, for helping me touch base with what matters and bringing me closer to myself.





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