By Daniel Nseyo, Lagos, Nigeria
On a quiet morning I drove to my office on Victoria Island, a large and sophisticated urban area in Lagos near beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. Although there initially weren’t many cars on the road, traffic started to build up as the result of a malfunctioning stoplight. This meant I had to sit alone in my car while waiting to move forward. But I wasn’t alone for long.
Along the highway and near my car, a grassy median strip separated traffic lanes. The city council had recently built orange fence rails to protect the green grass.
The grass attracts horses that occasionally wander into the city from Kuramo Beach, where luxury residential and office apartments have been built. Stables at the reclaimed beach offer horseback rides to visitors and tourists. Stray horses that may have escaped from these stables are often seen grazing in the highway median.
Now while I sat in my car, a large Barb, or Berber, horse—a breed that migrated from northern Africa to Nigeria over a thousand years ago, stood next to my window. Although this type of horse is known to have a fiery temperament, my new traffic companion contentedly grazed on a patch of greens and ignored me.
“Just an Animal”
I know that in some places, some people would only see this massive creature as a lowly animal. But while watching the horse, I began to appreciate it as Soul. I looked beyond the physical embodiment and thought of the horse as not “just an animal.” I started to wonder, How can Soul be all It can be in that physical body? Could Soul be Its best as a horse in this lifetime?
Suddenly it occurred to me that all Souls respond to God’s love. I should give this Soul love regardless of the differences between human and horse bodies. To experiment with the idea of giving love to Soul in any form, I decided to sing HU, a nondirected prayer that is sung as a love song to God. HU expresses a universal language of love without any expectations.
I filled my heart with love and appreciation for this Soul and sang HU inwardly and silently. To my surprise, the horse paused from grazing, and its ears started twitching. Looking around as if searching for the inner sound of HU, it fixed on me and stared for a few seconds. Then the horse showed its teeth and gave me a broad grin. After we exchanged smiles for a moment, the horse returned to grazing.
Love for All Life
The traffic began to move again, and as I continued my drive to work, I thought more about my Soul-to-Soul connection with the stray horse. As Soul, we have the God-knowledge within us. The teachings of ECK and spiritual exercises, such as singing HU, awaken Soul’s love for the divine that is already in our hearts. I believe this horse felt God’s love in the HU and returned it to me.
Through this experience I came to appreciate that animals are more than their physical bodies. They don’t express themselves through human words. But as Soul, they feel God’s love and interact with other life forms through love.
—First and second photos by Daniel Nseyo
Beautiful story of how singing HU lets one give love beyond our perceived boundaries !
HU is the eternal truth of loving beyond words
Thank you for sharing your love story!
Thank you all for the nice stories of how the Love flows to us through animals. I had once a musical meeting with a cow. As I was waiting for the bus I played amazing grace on my instrument. As I played a cow came running towards me. She just seamed to listen to the melody as her eyes and ears were focused in my direction. Whenever I played a song less from the heart, as the first one she turned her head to the other side. Like she could understand when it was music played from the heart or from the mind. How many human can hear that difference in music?
Beautiful and priceless moment it . Animals are soul indeed.
Thanks for sharing.
God’s love is all there is at all levels in different forms. Singing HU uplifts us and pave more ways to share God’s love.
Wow! What a beautiful experience!
What a sweet story showing how a horse’s awareness could “hear” you and then acknowledge the love you were sending out. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Lovely story Daniel. Thank you for taking the time to share in your experience of love and being Soul. Story shared.
Oh wow! Nothing beats a first hand experience of the manifestation of God’s love. Beautiful!!
Beautiful experience of sharing God’s love.
Yes! True! Animals and Plants are Soul, too! Treat them as God’s Love in Expression! Treat them as Soul!
Thank your for a beautiful experience. Animals are definitely soul
God’s love touches every Soul ,no matter the form, in different ways !
This sweet story aptly reminds me of the song “God’s love sustains all life, and God’s love will lead you home”.
In the long run, love is all that matters. We know this as Soul regardless of whatever form Soul takes. You made a great Soul-to-Soul connection.
What a lovely experience! Thank you Daniel for sharing.
I agree. Everything I am learning as an ECKist points to our understanding that all living things are Soul.
Love this story! Love this blog.
May the Blessings be.
Thank you for this lovely story. Horses are Soul too. They are just a different expression of life.
Wow! What a beautiful experience
Animals are Souls too. It’s really amazing how they demonstrate God’s love in the simplest way.
Animals are truly souls too. And being on a spiritual path as Eckankar helps you realise that fact and opens your heart more to the love of God as IT emanates from all life forms. We are all one with the ECK and all life is connected by this Love of God . Amazing story from the heart.
Nice story of God’s love. Well told Daniel. Thanks !