Introduction

In order to be receptive to and open for the experience of Cataglories, one must live in the waking state of KOOTO or KOTO for short. KOOTO is the ancient  mystical art of observation summed up by this frequently misunderstood and misused phrase "Keen Observer of the Obvious".  The proper pronunciation is easy.  The O's are all long, thus you would speak this word as  Ko (as in cold) To (as in Toe).

Relaxing Music

Please enjoy the relaxing music while venturing forth in a state of "Cataglories".

The Underpinnings

The philosophical axioms of the Cataglory way of life are many, and can be found here, many times with a supporting picture to prevent us from having to write a thousand words.  Enjoy, "Live in Koto" and revel in all Cataglories.

Cats are manifestations of concentration - meaning: We'll have to edge into this one. Let's see, have you ever been working to the exclusion of all other distractions when a cat appeared from nowhere? The result frequently is a cat on your lap, work, paper, field of vision, face etc.  They have even been known to appear from nowhere to turn off the TV or computer.  What causes this? The very act of concentration causes the cat to be transported from wherever it was (i.e. nowhere), into your space of concentration.  The cat was perfectly happy wherever it was. Your thoughtless act of intense concentration brought the cat to you.  Since cats by their nature live in the waking state of KOTO, they immediately notice that they are no longer where they were, and assume the comforting pose of having come to visit you.  Cats make this sacrifice to keep both your and their altered state of mind from contemplating the physics of  instant materialization from one place to another.  This keeps both you and them sane.  This phenomena, having defied all attempts to be empirically observed and measured, became the stuff of mysticism and is now commonly described as mentioned in the beginning of this paragraph.

Moral, "Concentrate to the exclusion of all else at your own risk".

Observe and be observed - You are a part of the dynamic world around you.  To see it in it's proper light, you must be observed performing the act of observing...

Moral, "To see and not be seen, excludes you from the world".

Ownership is an Art - Always acknowledge the creature you own. True enough, humans mistakenly believe that you are theirs, but you know the truth. Examine the joy brought to the face of this human girl and contemplate deeply.

Moral, "To be owned and not bring joy, is not to be owned at all".

The Meow of Purring

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way."
- Mark Twain

1 - What is Meow

The "Meow" is too great to be described by the name "Meow".
If it could be named so simply, it would not be the eternal Meow.

Heaven and Earth began from the nameless (Meow),
but the multitudes of things around us were created by names.

We desire to understand the world by giving names to the things we see,
but these things are only the effects of something subtle.

When we see beyond the desire to use names,
we can sense the nameless cause of these effects.

The cause and the effects are aspects of the same, one thing.
They are both mysterious and profound.
At their most mysterious and profound point lies the "Pillow of the Great Truth".

4 - Blunt the Sharp Claws

The Meow is so empty,
So hollow.
Yet somehow its usefulness is inexhaustible
It is so very deep
So very profound.
It's like the source of everything.

It blunts the sharpest claws
Unties the knots in yarn
Softens the glare

It is so very deep
So tranquil
It seems to barely exist at all.
Its origin is unknown
It preceded the Cats themselves.

5 - Talk is Tiring

Heaven and Earth don't play favorites
They treat everything with equal detachment.
Cats don't play favorites
They treat good people and bad with equal detachment.

Heaven and earth are like a set of bellows.
Although empty, they are endlessly productive.
The more you work them, the more they produce.
The mouth, on the other hand, becomes exhausted if you talk too much.
Better to keep your thoughts inside you. [ Try Purring Instead ]

 

[ In translation ]

The Art of Meow

[ In translation ]