“Be alert as you watch a dog at play or at rest. Let the animal teach you to feel at home in the now, to celebrate life by being completely present. You just watch the tail . . . with some dogs you just look at them—just a little look is enough— and their tail goes . . . ‘Life is good! Life is good!’ And they are not telling themselves a story of why life is good. It’s a direct realization.”

— Eckhart Tolle

The philosophy of Zen comes to mind when I witness dogs “being” themselves.

My understanding of Zen, in part, is that it is the practice of being 100 percent present and one with what is in the field of my awareness or with whatever I am doing.

Given that meaning, it’s safe to say I have a new Zen master in my life.

His name is Mac Doodle, aka, Master Mac. He is a 5-month-old puppy, part golden and Labrador retriever and part poodle.

I receive new teachings from him daily. Today he taught me the importance of spontaneously taking a time-out from my usual busyness to play a little, which I did because he wouldn’t leave me alone until I did. This was a win-win for both of us. I was a bit tired and losing my focus anyway.

Now I feel twice as alive, energized and connected to what needs to be done, and he is taking a snooze so I can get my work done.

It’s interesting how the universe knows how to balance the energy for all living things when they are willing to “be” in the moment.

Mac naturally knows when to play and when to take a time-out to rest his mind and his body. We, on the other hand, are not always that in touch with our true nature.

Being present in the moment seems to take much work for us because we exist on a linear pathway of doing.

While our bodies are always present in the moment, regardless of whether we’re in a work environment or just walking through the supermarket, quite often our minds are either out in front of us or behind us doing something else. Would you like to know how to rectify that problem? Just “be” the dog.

As an example, Master Mac is so much in the present moment that he will walk from one room into another, then stand there with a curious look on his face. My human interpretation of his look is, “Hmmm, now why did I walk in here?”

Have you ever done that? I have. When that happens it’s usually because I’m on a mission for something my mind has instructed my body to fetch, and my mind has decided to do something else while waiting for my body to return.

The only difference between Mac and you and me is, when we do that, it’s because we failed to consciously keep our mind and body in sync and, as a result, we think we’re experiencing a senior moment.

When Mac does it, he has no agenda; his thinking mind hasn’t gotten in the way. He’s simply experiencing the moment and where it takes him, period.

Mac’s ability to be open to the present comes naturally, and as a result, the direct realization that life is good is always at hand. Is it possible that we too could have that direct realization more often? Perhaps so.

Granted, dogs may find it easier to be in the moment because they don’t have to go to work, pay taxes or change the baby’s diaper, but then again, that’s not why they were sent here.

Tolle refers to dogs as the “Guardians of Being.” I like that a lot. If we are open to it, having a dog in one’s life can be a sacred experience, always reflecting back to us our own spiritual nature. (We all know what we get when we spell “dog” backward.)

Master Mac’s “soul” puppypurpose is to help me remember that every moment of my life is good if for no other reason than I am alive; it’s up to me to “be” in the present moment long enough to realize that it’s good. Mac faithfully reminds me of this every day.

So, the next time you’re around a pooch, invite him or her to teach you about the art of being a dog. If you pay attention you’ll discover that life isn’t nearly as “ruff” as you might think.

Be the dog, indeed.

Dennis Merritt Jones is a local spiritual mentor, keynote speaker and author of the book “The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life.” Contact him at www.DennisMerrittJones.com.