I had an epiphany while walking in the forest today:
Animals come close to you when you feel one with your surroundings.
Conversation
If you feel fragmented, you emanate it and they sense it. Your demeanor is hasty and insecure, and they avoid you.
But when you know yourself to be one with reality, you don't need to clutch anything—and "the bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp."
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This is why saints and sages are often portrayed as being surrounded by, or able to communicate with, animals.
(Antonio Carnicero, "Saint Francis preaching to the birds")
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elaborating on this:
Saints are holy people, that is, ‘whole-y’ people. They are all of one piece, with the world within and without.
etymonline.com/word/holy
