Spot, the American Hachiko
In June 2010, Wayne Giroux, a lawn mower shop owner, was in a car accident and was killed by a drunk driver. He had lived in Texas with his son, Paul and dog, Spot, and was 61 when he died…
Also in June 2010, I had written about a dog in Japan, named Hachiko who taught and still teaches people the meaning of friendship and loyalty. Every day, Hachiko would go to the same spot at the train station to wait for his owner… until one day, his owner died whilst at work and did not return.
Hachiko still continued going to the same spot every day for the next 9 years! This happened in 1925.
85 years later, the same example of friendship and loyalty can be seen in Spot. For the past few months, Spot still sits on the main road waiting for Wayne to drive back home. Whenever Paul sees him there, he gets saddened because he knows what Spot is doing. He says, “I have no doubt that’s what that dog is waiting for. It breaks my heart every time I go out there.”
We can teach our dogs to sit, stay, roll over and not to bite on the wires etc… but the dog is clearly better at teaching us about friendship and loyalty…
Do watch the video below about the American Hachiko, Spot. It’s very heartbreaking to watch her so lost…
Tsem Rinpoche
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https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/dog_remains_faithful.mp4
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Shouldn’t a student have the same manner or thought for his/her Guru? This story reminds me of the nine attitudes that a student must have in Dharma.
I’m particularly touched by this :
“We can teach our dogs to sit, stay, roll over, and not to bite on the wires, etc… but the dog is better at teaching us about friendship and loyalty…”
Thank you, Rinpoche for sharing this amazing story with us.
Heartbreaking to watch the video of Spot (the dog the American Hachiko).Spot was so greatly upset and lost….Its show us how loyal and the bond between the two.Wayne a lawn mower shop owner, was killed in a car accident. His faithful Spot will be there sitting on the main road waiting for Wayne.Dogs are loyal friends and a man best firend is his dog…there is a saying,Its well said.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing
It’s true that we can teach our dogs some simple tricks, but sometimes they are capable of teaching us one thing which most of us do not know- how to be a better human. Relationship without loyalty and love is not a relationship, even dogs can be better humans than us, humans are capable of doing a lot of things, I do not think that we can’t even adopt this one simple attitude in our daily lives- loyalty.
it is so heartbreaking how much this dog loves his owner, i love animals especially dogs, i love them because they are loyal and friendly. i hope this dog gets help, thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
Its such a shame that the owner died and this dog had to wait at the same spot for such a long time. This is just so touching to me, i know that everybody has already seen or heard about Hachiko. And he is a really good and loyal dog, but to me they are all the same. As long as they respect and give loyalty to the owners, then they are all good dogs. And that is the most important thing. And the owner should in return treat their dogs with love and care.
Even animals can teach us what friendship and loyalty means which we humans can learn from Hachiko and Spot.
It is indeed heartbreaking to see Spot waiting and not knowing that his Master will not return again.
Spot is a good mumu. He must be wonder why his master not coming back after so many months. He is waiting at the same place everyday and hope that one day she will see her master come back for him. Her loyalty and love is very simple and straightforward. This is something people need to be treasured. Those parents who abandoned their children and run away, their children is waiting and hoping for their parents to come back for them one day just like Spot. Same goes to those that have not go home to see your parents for very long time. Please go home and see them. Treasure whoever that loves us.
Wayne owns a Lawnmower shop which was taken over and run by his son Paul after learning the trade. With them is the faithful and loyal dog Spot who is a friend and companion especially to Wayne. Everyday Spot would wait by the highway for Wayne to return. But a few months ago Wayne was killed by a drunk driver. Whether Spot knows whether his master has passed away and will not be returning. Spot will still be waiting on the highway for Wayne not knowing he will not see his master again. We may not know how Spot feels but one thing for sure he must have misses his master Wayne. And do not want to erase the memory of waiting for his master and friend everyday. A touching story of a teaching of loyalty and faithfullness to friend. A similar story of the Hachiko in Japan.
It is really amazing how these dogs can be so loyal to their owners or more appropriately, FRIENDS.
If only we human beings can be this loyal. Many people I know cannot. Even me myself.
We should teasure good geniune friends,our family, our parents,our siblings even our Guru
Thankyou for teaching us with so much patience & compassiond
When young, i used to visit my uncle’s grave in the Western Road Christian Cemetery, Penang. i was told the story of a dog which grieved over the grave of its owner until it died on the very spot – there was even a marble statue of a dog on the grave.
Poor Spot 🙁
All because of a drunk driver…. Why was the driver drunk? maybe they had a bad day at work, someone had complained about them or something…. why was a complaint made? maybe someone just wanted to get something for free as compensation or something…. why did they want something? maybe they had a demanding partner or child…. Why was the child demanding? maybe they were teased at school for not following fashion or something…. Why where they teased? maybe their classmate had low self esteem from their parents treatment or something…. Why, etc, etc.
Its frightening how all our actions have consequences, seen and unseen, its a lesson to be mindful in all our actions i think.
Jon
heartbreaking indeed!thanks.