The Power of Perfuming

There is a mutual influencing effect among sentient beings. Whomever you associate with, you will unconsciously be influenced by their habits, character, disposition, virtuous or unvirtuous mental states, and so forth. If a person keeps a dog and is always with the dog, the dog has its habits, and the person has theirs. Over time, constantly observing the dog's gaze, movements, eating habits, and mannerisms of walking, sitting, and lying down, one will unconsciously be influenced by the dog's habits and mental nature without even realizing it. Even one's appearance may be very subtly influenced. However, dogs are more easily influenced by humans because human influence is stronger than that of a dog. In this mutual influencing, dogs receive more and heavier influence. Therefore, a dog's habits become closer to those of humans, making it easier for them to be reborn in a human body in a future life. Once they obtain a human body, they become understanding, agreeable, clever, and quick-witted.

It is certainly good for a dog to be influenced by a human, but what would be the result of a human being influenced by a dog? Like attracts like. If a person constantly looks at a dog, their appearance will also subtly change, though it’s difficult to notice. In this life, the change might be minimal or nonexistent, but when the seeds of this influence mature in a future life, the change will occur. If you are accustomed to being with dogs, develop deep affection, and form a very close bond, then at the time of the intermediate state (bardo), you will manifest the realm of a dog. Unconsciously, you will follow the dog and be reborn into a dog’s womb.

For example, if you are always with a person who stutters, someone whose speech is not fluent and who stammers, you might initially think nothing of it and believe you won’t become a stutterer. However, over time, your speech will develop hindrances. The longer the time, the greater the hindrance. This is a gradual process of being influenced. The aspects influenced include appearance, manner of speaking, tone of voice, habits—including eating habits, and habits of walking, sitting, and lying down.

At our current stage of practice, we are very easily influenced. Unwholesome dharmas are easier to be influenced by than wholesome dharmas because our minds are far more afflicted than virtuous. We are accustomed to afflictions and unaccustomed to virtue; we resist wholesome dharmas but readily accept unwholesome ones. For instance, when in a group, if someone starts gossiping, we easily become interested and join in the disputes. But when encountering praise for others' good qualities, we are often unwilling to follow along and usually remain silent—except for those close to us or those we find useful. Those who add insult to injury are common, while those offering help in times of need are rare. Therefore, if you wish to cultivate and change yourself, you must choose to draw near to virtuous people and distance yourself from those heavily burdened by afflictions. Stay away from contentious people and contentious places. Only then will your mind gradually incline toward virtue and distance itself from evil. Afflictions can then be subdued; you will find it harder to create karmic actions based on afflictions and will not leave behind seeds of unwholesome karma. Future lives will be easier, free from the hindrances of afflictions.