Does a dog have Buddha nature? According to the original Zen
story, no—but don't try telling that to Penelope Smith.
This professional animal communicator, healer, author, and
teacher insists that all earth's creatures are imbued with the
same vibrant consciousness we humans hold so dear, and that
animals are as capable of subtle communication—albeit of
the nonverbal kind—as any of us. The key: interspecies
telepathic communication. If it sounds far fetched, the
foundation of Smith's work is actually as simple as the root
definition of the word telepathy: feeling over a distance. And
to hear her tell it, there's plenty of conscious creatures out
there worth paying careful attention to. In fact, Smith believes
that telepathic communication with other species is an essential
step in developing our own empathy beyond its current,
often dismal, state. We can't argue that being more deeply in
touch with the entire web of life wouldn't help create a firmer
basis for treating all of life, our planet, and each other with
greater care, concern, and sympathy. WIE's Ross Robertson interviewed Smith from her home in Point Reyes, California.
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