It’s tough to stay focused on the present. Modern society so gears us to look ahead or behind. For instance, we have to write resumes on past job experiences and we are saving for retirement. One of the most popular English language songs right now is Adele’s Hello which is about regretting the past and people often ask when are you getting married, when are you buying a house, when are you having kids propelling us along life’s milestones. How often do we just simply take pleasure on where we currently are in life and take it all in. The good and the bad. And say this is life, this is me at this moment in my journey. Non-human animals on this planet do not seem to be as pre-occupied with the future or the past. They seem to be very present minded and in the moment and perhaps can help us accept the current moment more. The spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle says in his book the Power of Now how his cat is a great teacher of staying mindful in the present moment and he even co-authored a book with Mutt’s creator Patrick McDonnell called Guardians of Being on how pets help humans who live with them stay present minded. This present mindfulness is often times attributed to lower brain functions but as this great article points out animals seem to be happier and more at peace while staying in the moment so maybe we should be imitating that more in our daily lives so we can be happier and more peaceful.
Animals certainly remember things and use past experiences. They don’t just blindly disregard the past. They learn from it and accept it. Your pet knows who you are and doesn’t meet you again for the first time when you come home everyday. Your cat knows how to get belly rubs from you or not to scratch the sofa(or at least not to do it while you are looking). Your dog knows when dinnertime is and not to go into the garbage(again at least while you are not looking). Your pets learn from behaviors and routines. My dogs know the instant we enter the vet office that bad stuff is going to happen. But seem hopeful that anytime they go on a car ride without the other dog a good destination awaits even though they almost always only ride in the car without the other dog when going to the vet. Wild animals learn as well. They have to learn how to hunt and/or avoid predators. They learn what is dangerous. If they are social animals they learn social skills. They learn from the past but they know the present moment is ever changing. If another member of their group is in a bad mood they may avoid that member or fight but they can make up later often very quickly. In a documentary two Japanese macaques fight and then reconcile quickly. You can see this at about the twenty minute mark. This is the kind of forgive and forget attitude that is often taken by animals in regards to social interactions or past mistakes. I am sure repeated ill treatment would have repercussions but they know each moment is a new painting of life. They pick up trends but fluctuations are taken as what makes each moment special and handled according to the circumstances of the instant. Animals are ever present to handle these fluctuations and pick up on what is a trend and what is a momentary circumstance remaining optimistic for the best.
Animals seem not to dwell on the future either. Animals in civilized society can’t. If you bring your dog to be boarded it has no knowledge of how long it will be there. It must take each day as is. It has no control over how life unfolds just like all animals in society. Wild animals don’t have any control either. They do not know from moment to moment if they will be chased by a predator and hunters don’t know when they will catch a meal. If a lioness leaves her cubs in a hiding spot to go hunt the cubs do not know if they will ever see her again. An elephant does not know when she will die she does not go for yearly check ups at the doctor to see if she is healthy. Death is always a possiblity. Many if not all animals surely know they will one day die. Cape buffalo will try and rescue one of their own from a lion and will try to kill lion cubs. If they didn’t know what death was they wouldn’t try to rescue their own or kill their enemy. The lioness in Disney’s African Cats got mortally wounded and afterwards got one of her pride mates to take care of her daughter and then went off to a secluded spot to die. She had to know she was going to pass away from this life based on her actions. Christian the lion laid by the grave of his friend Boyd when he passed and was visibly distraught. Tarra the elephant carried her dog friend Bella when she died and appeared to be in mourning. Animals certainly seem to know that living things can die. Their is no evidence that they would think themselves immortal. They most likely don’t know the mechanisms behind death and why it occurs just like up until Newton we didn't know why things fell to the ground but humans certainly knew before him if they jumped off a cliff they would fall. Animals also probably don’t know what happens after death but in truth, although many firmly believe they do, humans have no definitive proof of what happens either outside our faith in our beliefs. I think the reason we sometimes think animals don’t know they are going to die is because they don’t dwell on it. They accept death will happen someday but for now they are alive and they will live each moment the best they can. They know they have no control over life outside of how they live their own life day to day moment by moment. They know the future can bring a myriad of events and circumstances and one day they will pass from this life. But they can accept that and take each moment as it comes and do the best they can with it. They know they are alive now and in a minute they may not be but that is in the future for now they will do the best with the present.
I struggle with going with the flow and letting go of past hurt. I have gotten better over the years but it's a continuing process. I do believe that going with the flow makes for a happier life though based on my experiences. I welcome others to share their experiences with this. It is a tough thing to accept you have no control but if we can accept it and just do the best we can with the present moment we are given and let the future unfold as it must and let the past be our teacher and not our master maybe we can find the peace we need.
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