There's a magical mystery behind a dog's love—it's almost like God and dogs share the same heart.
So we're in Japan to see a statue of a dog, but not just any dog—this is Hachi. Every day, Hachi would leave home to greet his owner at the nearby railway station, without fail. Then one day, Hachi’s beloved owner and friend passed away at work. But did Hachi know? In his mind, he thought, "Maybe he's just running late." So, Hachi kept showing up at that station every single day for 9 years, 9 months, and 15 days, waiting with unwavering faith. People started to notice, and before long, Hachi became a symbol of loyalty—a national hero.
His story reminds me of Francis Thompson's poem, "The Hound of Heaven.”
Just as Hachi never stopped waiting for his owner, god's love waits for us, like a faithful dog at the train station.
"The Hound of Heaven" paints a picture of us trying to dodge God, all while God follows us like a loyal dog, patiently waiting for the day we finally come home. Meanwhile, we're out here chasing after our endless desires, stumbling around in the dark, thinking we're onto something big.
We chase after power and money, believing they'll bring lasting happiness, only to find out they never really do.
We go after shiny toys—cars, clothes, houses—but no matter how much we grab, it never seems to be enough.
We seek out relationships, fame, and popularity, clinging to them as if they'll fill the void.
We indulge in sensory pleasures, holding onto them like they're the answer to everything.
But as Yogacharya reminds us, even if life handed you everything—wealth, power, and friends—you'd eventually find yourself bored and unfulfilled..
Here’s Yogananda sharing about how all these things betray us…
In the end, we realize our worldly desires betray us—nothing in this world lasts. Material wealth, status, and even relationships can vanish in an instant. True fulfillment doesn’t come from the things we can touch or hold, but from the deeper connection to something eternal.
Trying to escape misery without God-Realization is like waiting for a submarine to arrive at a train station.
God, the hound of heaven, is like a faithful dog, never losing sight of us, even when we think we know better and chase after trivial things.
What we've been searching for all along is that divine connection. There's a love that never gives up on us, waiting at the station for us to arrive. As St. Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in God.
As Yogananda says,
“Though all created things belong to God, there is one thing God hasn’t-our love. When he created us, He did have something to attain, and that is our love. We can withhold that love, or give it to Him. And He will wait endlessly until we are ready to offer our love to Him.”
When we unite with God, we experience a joy and peace beyond understanding. The happiness God offers surpasses anything the world can give because God is the source of all happiness.
Deep within us, there's a cosmic homesickness that nothing…but DIVINE UNION can fill. Throughout history, those who truly found God were overflowing with love and bliss. They all said it was well worth the effort. And as Yogananda says, "God is not something you'll get bored with—He's the most interesting thing in the Universe."…The beauty and surprises of God's love and creativity are endless. God speaks in many different ways.
…Every creature is a word of God…
Like Hachi's unwavering loyalty, God's love never gives up. It's a divine pursuit that only ends when we finally turn around and recognize the love that's always been there.
God understands us when others don’t. God loves us when others turn away. God remembers us when others forgets.
The true love we've been seeking across lifetimes is finally found when the soul meets "the greatest lover of the universe.”
I believe dogs are God's way of showing us a glimpse of His unconditional love.
And dogs don’t care about how we look—young or old, tall or short, big or small, no matter our color—they just love, forgive, endure, trust, and patiently wait.
We leave them behind, but they stay, eagerly waiting for our return, always thrilled to see us, no matter what. The loyalty and devotion of a dog is a reflection of its maker.
God and dogs share the same heart.
Every wagging tail is a small reflection of God’s love.
When you look into a dog’s eyes, it’s almost as if you can see God looking back at you. As the saying goes, "May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am,” and more importantly, "May I always be the kind of person my God knows I am."
To conclude, dogs reflect the purest form of God's love. It's like a modern song about God's relentless love—you can run, hide, or distract yourself, but in the end, God is just patiently tailing you, like a faithful dog in a spiritual chase.
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