The following story is a true experience that Catherine Ingram had while in India...

Over twenty years ago, while staying in Bodh Gaya, India, my friends and I began hearing rumors about a boy who had allegedly been found among wild dogs. The rumor in town was that his seemingly canine behavior, lack of speech, inability to walk upright or to eat with his hands indicated that he had probably been raised among the dogs.

We were intrigued, so it was with enthusiasm that I accepted an invitation to see the boy at a private gathering with the Dalai Lama, who had expressed an interest in the child. The meeting was to be held at the Ghandi Ashram where the boy was staying among a group of social workers and behavioral therapists who has assembled around him.

Judging from his size, the child appeared to be about five or six years old. Crawling on all fours, his eyes darting from side to side, he was like a frightened animal. Seeing him made me uneasy, such as when I have seen depictions of creatures that are half human and half some other animal. I felt a primal recoil from something alien. This surprised me because I had expected compassion to be my primary response to the boy.

The Dalai Lama was seated in the center of the room, and the child was brought before him. As the Indian officials and therapists began making their presentations about the boy to the Dalai Lama, he reached down and began to gently stroke the child's head, much as one would pat a dog.

The gathered assembly pretended not to notice. Was it okay to treat the boy like a dog, or was that not good for his "rehabilitation?" The officials continued explaining their effeorts to train the child to walk, to form words, and so on. All the while, the Dalai Lama continued to stroke the boy's head and shoulders, smiling and warmly murmuring until the child eventually curled up at his feet.

Reflection Questions

• What would you have done if you were the Dalai Lama?
• What was communicated from the Dalai Lama to the boy?
• What did the boy communicate to the Dalai Lama?
• If you talked less with the people in your lives, how might the quality of your relationships change?