In the News (This Is Finland): “‘Finnish Reading Dogs Help Kids Learn and Grow’

“’Reading dogs’ are no ordinary canines. Reading out loud to a dog can give kids confidence, improve their skills and contribute to their creativity. …

“Reading to a dog can be a highly rewarding experience for kids in need of reading practice. ‘The idea is to encourage children with reading difficulties to read aloud,’ …. ‘Dogs will listen contentedly to a child, not caring if the reader makes mistakes or only reads slowly.’

“Kids who read to dogs experience a sense of fulfilment that boosts the children’s self-esteem and encourages them to pick up books more readily in future. …

“’Some children may normally be hyperactive in the classroom, but when they read to a dog, they calm down,’ she says. ‘They understand that they are the ones in control of the situation, and that they must consider the needs of the listener. They also learn to be empathic and interactive. And when they read carefully, they notice that they can actually read quite well after all.’”

My Response: Of course.

Question: Other countries are now adopting this.

How can we become like these dogs—tolerant of the mistakes of others?

Answer: No, this is very difficult. Only animals can do that. Animals have much more patience compared to us.

Question: What is stopping us? After all, we are intolerant even of our loved ones.

Answer: Egoistic desires!

There is inanimate, vegetative, animate, and human nature. The difference between animate and human nature is huge, and therefore a person has such desires and passions that cannot be compared with animals. An animal just stands on the side of the road. Cows graze.

Question: Why was this point of impatience, this evil, embedded in us?

Answer: In order for us to do a lot in our lifetime. For us to raise this desire even more, higher and higher, up to the level of the Creator.

Question: What desire?

Answer: Desire for everything.

Question: To raise all these egoistic desires to the Creator?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What is the highest desire? To what extent will we grow from this point of impatience for others?

Answer: To want the Creator with the greatest passion.

Question: Does He want this?

Answer: Yes, that is exactly what He wants.

Question: Does He want us to have a passion for Him?

Answer: Yes. “Return, O children of Israel, to the Lord Your God.”
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/1/22

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