Mohini the White Tiger and Figure-Eights

Back in the days when we lived in the Washington D.C. area, I loved taking our family to the National Zoo.

Located on a hill overlooking the monuments in our nation’s capital, the zoo always turned out to be a ton of fun for the entire family. Whether it was watching pandas munch down bamboo shoots, or the acrobatics in the monkey house, or walking in the very large bird tent and having colorful cockatoos and parrots right next to you, a good time was always had by all.

But perhaps one of our favorites was Mohini the giant white tiger. She was a gift from India to President Eisenhower and the United States. When we first started going to the National Zoo, Mohini was housed in a relatively small 12-by-12 foot concrete and iron cage.

The large female tiger would walk figure-eights right in front of you. Often when she got to the front of her cramped cage, she would stop, look up at you, and appear to ask in somewhat hostile terms, “Are you my dinner?” Then she would continue trudging figure-eights.

There were many comments made by every day citizens, veterinary experts, newspaper and television columnists, animal rights activists, and some people in political power that what was being done to such a majestic animal as Mohini constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

While Congress and the President often can’t work together to solve many vital issues facing America, they were able to do something for Mohini and the other lions and tigers in the National Zoo.

Two very large new habitats were built, one for the lions and another for the tigers. There were no cages and bars. Instead, experts had discovered ways of building a giant moat surrounding the habitats. There were walls built on angles. All of this kept the lions and tigers in their habitats, and gave people a perfect view of these marvelous creatures.

Inside of the new habitats were acres of grass, hills, trees, and ponds. It might not have been African safaris or Indian jungles, but it certainly was a giant step up from the old iron and concrete cages. These advances were welcomed by almost everyone.

Mohini was put into this new habitat, but something happened that was not expected. Instead of roaming around her new environment, the giant white tiger went to one side of the new habitat and continued to make figure-eights just like she did when she lived in a cramped 12-by-12 foot concrete and iron cage.

Nothing was stopping Mohini from romping in the acres of green grass, striding up the hills, getting shade under the trees, or taking drinks at the pond — well, nothing except her mind and old, ingrained habits.

When I started learning Unity’s Five Key Principles and other spiritual truths, I kept remembering my experience at the National Zoo and Mohini. As the old song put it so clearly, “Our thoughts are prayers, and we are always praying/ Our thoughts are prayers, take charge of what you’re saying.”

Limiting thoughts and old habits don’t just impact tigers! They can have a major impact on us humans. A story I recently read really brings this home. One woman, by the name of Amy Eddings, recently said that, “Ours is not a musical family. Dad had a guitar he never played. We kids plucked at the strings, but none of us thought to learn to play it ourselves.”

At school Amy took up the recorder, and the hope was to graduate to a clarinet and join the school band. However, her family could not afford to buy a clarinet, and Amy started to believe that her entire family lacked any musical talents.

Many years past, and something very interesting happened. As Amy put it, “Social media algorithms must’ve sensed this forgotten pleasure (of playing the recorder). A video ad for guitar classes popped up in my feeds frequently.”

Amy really wanted to play a musical instrument, but she continued to believe that internal “I can’t do it.”  Then Amy remembered her father and that lonely guitar in the closet. Amy said to herself, “Perhaps he, like me, told himself he wasn’t musical. Maybe he, like me, found validation for self-imposed limitation.”

She grew in consciousness, and she concluded that, “So many of my cages are of my own making.” Amy realized, “It’s easier for me to blame God or my childhood than it is to confront the truth. I forget that God is the great encourager here to help me see past my limitations.”

Amy has been playing the ukulele for the last two years. How is she doing? Amy will tell that she is doing fine. “Yes, I am musical,” she adds.

When we are facing challenges, I think it would be wise for us to remember Mohini and his figure-eights, and for us to also remember Amy and her ukulele. 

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick