In this world of mass information at our fingertips and being surrounded by such a diversity of culture and spirituality, I find that I often bare witness to the time old saying "this is the right way".
I grew up in a family of diverse heritage, my mother being First Nations with a strong Catholic upbringing intermingled with First Nation beliefs and culture. My father was a Muslim with traditional Islamic views intermingled with a more lenient expression of them. During my childhood I explored various avenues of Christianity and my adult hood brought me down the path of traditional First Nation culture and ceremony as well as Shamanism from a First Nations perspective and from a New Age perspective. You dont have to have lived a multicultural, spiritual and racial upbringing to find teachings on these various perspectives. One just needs to type their inquiry into any search engine to peek into these many views.
I grew up in a family of diverse heritage, my mother being First Nations with a strong Catholic upbringing intermingled with First Nation beliefs and culture. My father was a Muslim with traditional Islamic views intermingled with a more lenient expression of them. During my childhood I explored various avenues of Christianity and my adult hood brought me down the path of traditional First Nation culture and ceremony as well as Shamanism from a First Nations perspective and from a New Age perspective. You dont have to have lived a multicultural, spiritual and racial upbringing to find teachings on these various perspectives. One just needs to type their inquiry into any search engine to peek into these many views.
Today I found myself in conversation with a friend who comes from a Christian background. Later this evening while visiting with my sister she brought up the controversy between traditional First Nations spirituality verse New age Shamanism. I found myself reflecting on these two exchanges. Its so easy for any one religion, culture or even teacher to claim that their way is the one true way, any deviation considered a bastardization of the teachings.. If my experiences have taught me anything it is that all things stem from the same Source. Regardless of the name given, it comes from the same origin.
When I quiet my thoughts and listen with my heart, I find that I can feel and hear so much more. My thoughts of what is right or wrong, what I have been told or learnt step back and I can hear truths in many things. These truths can be felt moving through river stones, trees, animals, ceremony, spirituality and even organized religion. If we quiet our intellectual thoughts and egos, and we let what I call our human condition go still, this makes room for Spirit to speak. Spirit does not speak to just one people or region. There is a whole planet filled with many lands and many people. Spirit speaks in each of these places. It feels quite arrogant and naive for me to assume that what is spoken to me is but the only way. Spirit spoke long ago before the birth of religion, there has been and still is expression of these sacred whispers. Each of us but a vessel filled with our own human ego and experience uniquely expressing these whispers.
Often when in session with clients they bring up messages that had been delivered by other practitioners, or spiritual advisers. They often ask, how do I know who to listen to, or who is right? I explain that all things come from the same Source. Each religion and spirituality is but an expression of this source, and each individual yet an interpreter of the message. When looking at where the message is coming from, look at the vessel delivering the message. Each of our issues, wounds, experiences, lessons, and perspectives touch the message. We are the filter that this message comes through. How do we filter it, shape it to fit our beliefs and understandings, do we taint it with our reactions and wounds? When I look to other advisers and healers I always look at their journey and ask, have they done their own journey of healing? Have they faced and continue to face their own egos? Are they confined within a box that they hold onto under the name of tradition or religion? These are bold questions, but in a world of many expressions these questions need to be asked.
I leave you with the image of an egg newly laid and in time hatching, in the kingdom of animals new life is birthed and the transition from child to elder to dust continues. Earth, she spins. Each rotation brings the passing of day into night and seasons too pass from Spring,through Summer and Autumn into Winter. As the earth spins our view of the night sky shifts, our eyes falling on different constellations, and yet the night sky we peer upon tonight is different then the night sky that our ancestors looked upon. Some stars long ago extinguished, the moon further from earth then she once was centuries ago. All things are constantly in motion and change. An Elder once told me that our ancestors followed the stars, based the teachings of the medicine wheel on the constellations. They understood that all things cycled and were in motion and they too allowed for this change. They followed Spirit, not just the way of their ancestors before them, so that they could continue this natural evolution that all things follow. If you find yourself asking, or perhaps boldly claiming that your way or belief is the "right way" then ask yourself if you have anchored yourself within your views. Are you learning from those before, yet allowing for Spirit to speak today? Are you listening with your heart?
When I quiet my thoughts and listen with my heart, I find that I can feel and hear so much more. My thoughts of what is right or wrong, what I have been told or learnt step back and I can hear truths in many things. These truths can be felt moving through river stones, trees, animals, ceremony, spirituality and even organized religion. If we quiet our intellectual thoughts and egos, and we let what I call our human condition go still, this makes room for Spirit to speak. Spirit does not speak to just one people or region. There is a whole planet filled with many lands and many people. Spirit speaks in each of these places. It feels quite arrogant and naive for me to assume that what is spoken to me is but the only way. Spirit spoke long ago before the birth of religion, there has been and still is expression of these sacred whispers. Each of us but a vessel filled with our own human ego and experience uniquely expressing these whispers.
Often when in session with clients they bring up messages that had been delivered by other practitioners, or spiritual advisers. They often ask, how do I know who to listen to, or who is right? I explain that all things come from the same Source. Each religion and spirituality is but an expression of this source, and each individual yet an interpreter of the message. When looking at where the message is coming from, look at the vessel delivering the message. Each of our issues, wounds, experiences, lessons, and perspectives touch the message. We are the filter that this message comes through. How do we filter it, shape it to fit our beliefs and understandings, do we taint it with our reactions and wounds? When I look to other advisers and healers I always look at their journey and ask, have they done their own journey of healing? Have they faced and continue to face their own egos? Are they confined within a box that they hold onto under the name of tradition or religion? These are bold questions, but in a world of many expressions these questions need to be asked.
I leave you with the image of an egg newly laid and in time hatching, in the kingdom of animals new life is birthed and the transition from child to elder to dust continues. Earth, she spins. Each rotation brings the passing of day into night and seasons too pass from Spring,through Summer and Autumn into Winter. As the earth spins our view of the night sky shifts, our eyes falling on different constellations, and yet the night sky we peer upon tonight is different then the night sky that our ancestors looked upon. Some stars long ago extinguished, the moon further from earth then she once was centuries ago. All things are constantly in motion and change. An Elder once told me that our ancestors followed the stars, based the teachings of the medicine wheel on the constellations. They understood that all things cycled and were in motion and they too allowed for this change. They followed Spirit, not just the way of their ancestors before them, so that they could continue this natural evolution that all things follow. If you find yourself asking, or perhaps boldly claiming that your way or belief is the "right way" then ask yourself if you have anchored yourself within your views. Are you learning from those before, yet allowing for Spirit to speak today? Are you listening with your heart?
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