Foxes, Dogs, Angels and Devils

People used to go out and shoot foxes in the mountains to make themselves nice little fur scarves. Now, A while ago, somebody came here to the Temple and brought his dog, because the dog was sick. The reason he had cooked up for this was that the dog had some metaphysical connection with his wife’s fox fur scarf. The poor fox had died without wanting to, been turned into a fox fur scarf without ever having signed an agreement for his remains to be used in the service of human vanity, or his family having agreed to any such thing.
Only natural that his soul, still hovering upon the furry beauty of his skin, should not be ready to rest in peace. Instead, it rose in pain, and infected the poor dog with a malicious malady of incalculable measures. So both the dog and the fox fur scarf had to be taken to the temple for a Buddhist ceremony to show penitence for the horrible sin perpetrated upon the fox, and rid the dog of his ailing sickness.
Now, Shihan said, there are always two yous. And in this case, too, there were a good Shihan and a bad Shihan. A little Shihan in a white robe, glittering bright in his halo light, and a little cleft-footet devil Shihan with red horns spring from his head. The devil Shihan is smoking a cigarette.
One of those two, Shihan continues, thought: “What the fox are people thinking, abusing their god-given intellectual capacities to concoct such asinine inanities?!” The devil Shihan takes a hearty drag from his cigarette and angrily puts it out with his cleft foot, reaching for another and tossing it coolly between his fingers to light it. But angel Shihan comes and blows it away. The other Shihan. Who thought: “Poor fox. Yeah. Why did they have to kill him. Who needs a fox skin for a scarf. Nobody has the right to do that. It is the most random thing to do. So why shouldn’t the fox’s soul in return decide on a path of revenge as random as cursing a dog with disease?” The angel makes the cigarette flare up in a lightning ball with the might of his halo and wins. Shihan performs a Buddhist ceremony to free the dog from disease, and help the restless fox’s soul find peace.
Shortly after this, Shihan, the one that houses both devil and angel in his chest, returned to their usual balance, united in a strong centre, walks to the window after training to breathe in some fresh air, and his eyes meet those of a fox. “Hello,” he thinks. And has a silent understanding with the fox. From this day on, foxes are friends. And a family of three foxes moves into the peaceful grounds of Shosenji Temple.
Kitsune, the word for fox, can be written with the ki kanji from aikido, the tsu meaning wave, and everywhere, and the ne meaning root. According to old folk knowledge, foxes are the animals people can most easily communicate with.
But, Shihan moves on to the conclusion of his speech, you never know what mysterious coincidences lead to unexpected blessings. Your ki interacts not only with other people and foxes. It interacts with animals, with plants. Plants grow better if you talk to them, everybody knoes that. Even things we think have no life in them whatsoever can influence us and be influenced by us. Always choose the good you. Now let’s keep practising. And remember. Always choose the good you.