Animal Encounters (Excerpt)

Any time I come into unexpected contact with a large animal in the wilderness, I pay close attention, not only because of the joy of being witness to the presence of a magnificent creature, but because through the process of witnessing, some place of mystery is opened up to me.

Coming into contact with a wild animal is like this. It rips us open and brings our world into that of the animals. We feel ourselves looking back at ourselves through those wild eyes. It is as if we are the ones — covered in fur, feathers, and scales — gracefully and quietly moving through wilderness. In the peak of these unusual meetings, we recognize ourselves as kin to the very animal we are beholding. There is no separation between us and them; it is the meeting of two as one that stands out prominently in our mind s eye.

Many encounters are not so dramatic, but each has its own beauty and magic. Most of us know of the precious intimacy that is shared with pets. Tigger, a black miniature schnauzer, is clearly one of the most significant relationships in my life. We play. We go for walks. We sleep together. He is a dear friend and companion. We were both born and we will both die, and yet our lives come from and return to the same source. What is this mystery of life that he and I and all beings share? What is it that does not die? What is it that lives on beyond death?