The story of the Guru’s cat by Anthony de Mello is worth repeating:
When the guru sat down to worship each evening, the ashram cat would get in the way and distract the worshipers. So he ordered that the cat be tied during evening worship.
After the guru died the cat continued to be tied during evening worship. And when the cat died, another cat was brought to the ashram so that it could be duly tied during evening worship.
Centuries later learned treatises were written by the guru’s disciples on the religious and liturgical significance of tying up a cat while worship is performed. – Anthony de Mello
You can find this story and many more in Anthony de Mello’s book The Song of the Bird
