Passion, Experience & Growth

Pet The Dog

June 17, 2024

“Here comes the sun” — The Beatles, Here Comes The Sun (2019 Mix)

“Pet the dog” is a koan—a Zen Buddhist riddle meant to awaken knowing.

Early one morning on Hilton Head Island, I found myself on the beach, meditating as the sun rose over the horizon. The vast expanse of sand between me and the ocean lay mostly empty, while the waves endlessly swept the shore a hundred feet away.

Every now and then, a person or two strolled by in the distance.

Wearing dark sunglasses, no one could tell if I was asleep or awake—sitting perfectly still, eyes either open or closed. Impossible to tell.

The sun continued to rise, and I continued to breathe. A trio and their Black Lab puppy walked past a few hundred yards away.

Suddenly, the puppy changed direction and bounded enthusiastically toward me. Panicked, wanting to avoid disrupting my morning, two of the three shouted the puppy’s name. He ignored them.

As the puppy reached me, I smiled, extended both my arms, and petted him as he swept by, scattering sand on my shoe.

Just a quick hello—a moment of connection, a smile, a touch.

Imagine if every encounter with every being were lived this way. What would the world look like then?

Pet the dog.