Alert monks train F. Castro et. al. to do something useful

No evidence yet that they're teaching cats to flip light switches.
lisacatsays...

Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery in Myanmar. This place is a famous tourist attraction. From a nice article in the LA Times here: http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-tr-myanmar20mar20

"The Intha are known for the strange way they propel their small wooden fishing boats. The fisherman stands at the stern, balanced on one leg, and rows with the other leg by wrapping it around the oar, leaving both hands free to work the net.

Although this method of fishing is unusual and something to see, it's starting to be overshadowed by some unlikely local residents — Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Tina Turner, among others.

Our driver cut the longboat's engine, and we glided gracefully toward Nga Phe Kyaung, the abode of these local celebrities. Nga Phe Kyaung, an 18th century Buddhist monastery built from teakwood on stilts over the lake, is known more affectionately among its visitors as "the jumping cat monastery." For more than 20 years, the monks here have trained their cats to jump through hoops.

U Nan Da, a young Buddhist monk, met our boat. He led us inside the temple, where Chinese green tea, roasted barley and bananas are served to those who visit.

As I sat on the teakwood floor sipping tea, a feeling of peace prevailed. Beams of light streamed through the open windows, and the eyes of 64 golden Buddhas seemed to watch me from every angle. I sensed another pair of eyes, those of a curious cat, but when I turned to look, it had disappeared.

"That's James Bond," the monk said.

I laughed, but he assured me he wasn't joking.

"He is a very secretive cat," he said. "He likes to watch, but if we try to catch him he always escapes. So we call him James Bond."

choggiesays...

That subjective post title.....Are the monks bored??? Really!?....They look as if they are more auctualized than that...Considering their cat's names, the bored are their visitors, that short list of HollowWood's finest....the ones that need to stick to the script, and keep their whacked adventures and diversions to themselves....
The sensibilities of these monks are to be envied by all....especially their beneficial use of time!

choggiesays...

Jolie should spend more time training cats and less buying babies for her twisted little menagerie......That short A-list from lisacat, the same ilk perfectly parodied in "Team America",
people so out of touch with the world, they treat spirituality like a novelty, and become passionate and consumed by their own insanity disguised as "causes", and use their position to preach the same to the planet.....I propose a cata-pulpit for these poor souls, let them preach their own epitaph, as they soar to new heights....across and into the Grand Canyon!

maudlinsays...

Thanks for the great background, lisacat. I only knew of this video through a MetaFilter link. "Bored" in the title was meant to be playful, but I obviously was ignorant of the history of the jumping cats.

lisacatsays...

I wouldn't be surprised if this got it's start in a moment of boredom maudlin. The things we humans do to amuse ourselves...the cats seem to be having fun too!

choggiesays...

Cats' always know fun,... sooooo sensitive maudlin,(hehehe) Who the hell knows where Myanmar is, much less about baldy-bald kitty trainers!! Shouldn't these guys be practicing the Dharma instead of playing with pussy??

Any chance you give choggie to blast the morons of Hollowood, he's all over it like stink on Sheens!......Matt Damon

maudlinsays...

And here I was hoping that being one with the universe would forestall boredom. Damn!

And choggie, how do you feel about blasting kitties with Hollywood names? Is that one of those paradoxes that could make you short-circuit?

johnald128says...

i thought that at first but he's just disciplining it to teach it, tapping it's head up. he cant just wiggle the stick to get it's attention cos it'd just go hunter styley on it.
have been thinking about training my cats something, but something more useful than this

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