The Ashram Cat (Anthony de Mello)

  When the guru sat down to worship each evening, the ashram cat would get in the way and distract the worshippers.  So he ordered that the cat be tied during evening worship.

   After the guru died, the cat continued to be tied during evening worship.  And when the cat expired, another cat was brought to the ashram so that it would be duly tied during evening worship.

   Centuries later, learned treatises were written by the guru’s scholarly disciples on the liturgical significance of tying up a cat while worship is performed.

--Anthony de Mello, S.J., The Song of the Bird

Image source:  https://storiesofworld.com/the-people-of-this-village-tied-a-cat-everyday-before-saying-the-prayers-why-youll-be-shocked-to-know/