Ingo Meckel, Germany
I became acquainted with my life companion, Rosi, during a teacup hour with ECKists, members of Eckankar, in Germany. She had recently adopted a former street dog from Hungary.
A Hungarian animal organization rescued this stray dog and knew what a rough existence he’d endured. They named him Zockny, from a word that means socks in the Hungarian language, maybe because they felt this guy was as poor as a sock.
Rosi found a photo on an internet listing and immediately fell in love with the dog in the picture. Her heart opened when she saw him pressing his head against the latticework fencing at the animal rescue.
It took three weeks, filled with bureaucratic hurdles and many phone calls, to get a permit for Zockny to exit Hungary and enter Germany. During that time, Rosi wrote the dog a letter, asking him to keep trusting that she would bring him home.
Her perseverance was rewarded when Zockny arrived at the airport in an animal carrier with six other dogs. When the driver opened the carrier, Zockny immediately seemed to know Rosi as she embraced him.
He was emaciated and had the strong smell of a suffering and neglected body. But the promise of love fulfilled was unbreakable between the two of them. After she gave him his first bath at home, the way was open for Zockny to begin a wonderful life.
Our First Meeting
In his former life on Hungarian streets, a dog like him had to drink from water puddles and engage in a daily fight for food. When stray dogs tried to forage, men protecting their property often chased the dogs away by frightening them. Consequently Zockny had a terrible aversion to men.
The day soon came when I needed to meet that wild animal I’d been hearing so much about. Rosi forewarned me that he feared men, so I arrived at her house bringing a package of Wiener Würstel sausages. When I set the sausages by my foot at the doorstep, which by now Zockny viewed as his territory, he loved them right away and ate with high speed.
After he’d finished eating, though, I experienced what must have happened when any man approached him. He barked and barked and barked. I gave him more Wiener Würstel to eat. The sausages disappeared at once into his mouth. He barked more. Rosi was making coffee in the kitchen, and the dog was still barking. What to do?
I said to him, “The sooner we become friends, the better for both of us.” Then I remembered a spiritual tool I’d learned in Eckankar. Singing HU, a sacred name of God, could connect me Soul-to-Soul with Zockny.
With love in my heart for this poor dog, I sang HU. And then it happened. Zockny started to become quiet and calm. He pushed his nose against my leg. I took this as a sign that he wanted me to pet him, so I started to stroke his head with my hand. There was no more barking.
Rosi, curious about the sudden silence, came out from the kitchen and asked, “What happened?” I told her about my spiritual exercise with the dog and said, “Now we are inner and outer best friends.”
Zockny and Me
Today Zockny accompanies me on activities I do in Rosi’s house and garden. Even when I turn on the lawnmower, which previously used to scare him, he stays with me and watches in spite of its terrible noise.
The dog’s trust in me has evidently expanded his consciousness and dissolved his fears. His new confidence extends to handling other social situations. Now he can be in crowds of people and ride with us on buses, where he likes to make the acquaintance of strangers. Love and joy shine from his face.
When I come to Rosi’s home and whistle for him, he wags his tail, runs into the house, and announces my arrival. While Rosi and I walk hand-in-hand, he loves to squeeze himself between our legs. People passing us smile at his strange habit, but we know this is his way of showing love equally to both of us. I have learned a lot about love from that dog. He’s always showing me that Soul equals Soul and God is love.
Our favorite walk is one in which we walk toward the Light of ECK with Zockny and listen to the sound of the river Isar.
We Go to an ECK Seminar
Rosi and I were able to bring Zockny to the pet-friendly hotel where the ECK European Seminar was held in Biel, Switzerland. We loved sharing this very special occasion with our relaxed and quiet dog.
Because dogs were allowed in this hotel, he accompanied us into the main hall where the seminar program took place. Thousands of loving hands stroked him and said, “Welcome to the seminar.” That weekend, this dog, who had come through so much, was a star.
As we listened to speakers and creative-arts performers, he lay at our feet and watched, content and calm. I think we were all enjoying the inner presence of ECK and the Mahanta. This moment in time with Zockny became unforgettable. He was no longer a “poor sock,” but a beloved and treasured family member.
—Photos by Rosemarie Stuehler
Thank you for good message fome
what a beautiful story of heart opening for this special soul who has been through so much!
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story. When love comes a-calling there’s nothing it cannot do. And it always seems to make my eyes water up.
What a beautiful story. Your love has changed that dog’s life and I’m sure yours!
Vraiment, vous agissiez comme des canaux purs du Mahanta à l’égard de cette Âme qui avait tellement besoin de l’amour du Mahanta. Merci pour le partage de cette belle histoire.
Lovely heartwarming story. thank you. Love is Love is Love and animals ARE Soul too
How wonderful and fulfilling to read these stories! I am grateful!
I had a dog too, who came abused into our home, and like Sockny he became a 45 kg bundle of love, loving everyone. No hard feelings after her overcame his terrible fear and distrust.
Thank you for the lovely story. I have used the HU to connect with animals too!
Am so grateful to feel the love generating from the experiences told in this story. Such Beauty..
Beautiful story of love. Animals are Souls! Loved this.
Thank you for sharing
Beautiful story!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you, Ingo, for sharing your precious story about Zockny. What a blessing to have a Soul like this come into your life. These relationships open our heart and change us forever. You and Rosi gave unconditional love to this furry friend. That lasts forever.
I loved this story. It came at the perfect time. Today, we had to put our sweet Clancy down. We knew the day was coming because his health was deteriorating day by day. He was so calm and peaceful–so different from when he arrived–terrified and fearful of men. We only had him a year–he was about 10 when we adopted him. In that time, he came to love me–exclusively, at first. Then he learned to love my husband. He was deaf, but he knew the love that flows from the HU Song. I am grateful to have had him in our lives but letting him go was just the right thing to do. The love that surrounds and protects him will only get stronger.
Beautiful story and message!
What a wonderful story about Zockny, yes animals are soul to. Animals bring so much love to us from the Eck, a special kind of love right from the heart centre.
My cat Sasha came into my life through another Eckist. I believe she is the reincarnation of my previous cat Dusty, I cannot begin to express the love I receive from Sasha every day. In the beginning she would not let me pet her but as time went on she became more and more settled, she was an outside cat. It is now almost three years since Sasha and I became family, mother and daughter. Sasha keeps me very busy during the day, she stays close to me at every turn, she sits and watches my every move even at Eck zoom meetings. Sasha sings the HU with me at nights, in the mornings and at my zoom meetings, I’ve noticed when I sit quiet in contemplation she would sometimes curl at my feet or close by as though she is also in contemplation. She radiates the love of the Mahanta, a symbol of the Light and Sound.
For me, Sasha is well on her way to the higher worlds of God from animal to who knows.
My husband and I consider ourselves as not pet people but I came across a comment from Sri Harold on Instagram where he said that human love is fine but there is so much more to life, that Animals are pure love. I never thought of animals in that way. To me they were just pets. But that comment opened my eyes. I subscribed to this blog right away and this was the first story I read. It caused tears believe me. thank you, Mary Stout
What a beautiful heart-warming story about the loving rescue of Zockny! I love the part where Zockny is being greeted by thousands of loving hands at an Eckankar seminar! What a clear demonstration of God’s love for Soul! Thank you for your dear, sweet hearts and for sharing this inspiring story!
Wow, this is such a wonderful story, a blessing all round. Thank you Mahanta. Yes it is true! Animals are Soul too.
Loved this story thank you so much for sharing
What a beautiful story! What a gift of love from the Mahanta!
Thanks for sharing, Rosemarie.
Lieber Ingo, liebe Rosi, lieber Zockny, danke für eure bemerkenswerte Geschichte, sie erfüllt mir mit innerlicher Ruhe und Gelassenheit. Sie nimmt mich mit auf eurem Weg und wie in fast allen guten Geschichten endet sie mit einem Happy End!! Toll!! Möge Segnungen sein.
Thank you for sharing such an emotional display of compassion, gratitude and love between souls.
Thank you for sharing- in my future walks to a nearby stream I’ll invite Zockny to accompany me.
May the blessings be
The most beautiful things are always possible. Miracles !
Korrektur!! Text wurde leider falsch übersetzt:
Bei dieser Geschichte wurde mir erst warm ums Herz, dann habe ich geweint über das Glück, das dieser Zockny nun erlebt!!
Aus einem gequälten Hund wurde ein von allen geliebter “Star”!!
In unserer heutigen Zeit noch von so etwas schönem zu hören, erfüllt einen mit Dankbarkeit!!