how many cats and guards of staircases have you observed in your life? no? not sure? read on …
The Ashram Cat (aka The Guru’s Cat)
An esteemed guru (spiritual teacher) is teaching his disciples, but an ashram cat constantly distracts the students by wandering around. To prevent the distraction, the guru orders his disciples to tie the cat to a post or tree during lessons or evening worship. This practice continues daily. Generations of gurus, disciples, and cats pass away, but the act of tying a cat during the lesson becomes a deeply ingrained, sacred tradition.
The Guardian of Staircase
John F. Barker in Roll Call tells the story that for more than twenty years, for no apparent reason, an attendant stood at the foot of the staircase leading to the House of Commons. At last someone checked and discovered that the job had been held in the attendant’s family for three generations. It seems it originated when the stairs were painted and the current attendant’s grandfather was assigned the task of warning people not to step on the wet paint. (source acknowledgement: www.lecturesbureau.gr)
time has changed, ubiquitous network connections and mobile devices and apps have arrived, and GenAI has descended. but things done yesterday are continued today, tomorrow, and probably the day after tmr. who, especially minions, dare question ‘traditions’ or remove guards from anywhere?
