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"Spiritual matters are difficult to explain because you must live with them in order to fully understand them."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW To know something we must become one with it. We cannot know what a flower smells like until we actually smell it. Close your eyes and experience the fragrance. The Elders say there are two worlds, the Seen World and the Unseen World. To experience the Seen World we need to physically pick the flower and smell it. To experience the Unseen World we need to know about principles, laws and values; and no matter what our mind or our physical senses tell us, we must decide and act on these principles. If someone does wrong to us, we must pray for that person or persons to have peace, happiness and joy in their life. We must not get even or retaliate in any way. Only by doing this can we understand spiritual matters. Great Spirit, give me your power whenever my weakness shows so I can live by spiritual decisions |
It’s simple things, like a glowing sunset, the sound of a running stream or the fresh smell in a meadow that cause us to pause and marvel at the wonder of life, to contemplate its meaning and significance. Who can hold an autumn leaf in their hand, or sift the warm white sand on the beach, and not wonder at the Creator of it all? Wendy Moore |
"Dissimilar things were fitted together to make something beautiful and whole."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE Sometimes we look at something close up and it appears to be ugly; but then we drop back and look at it as a whole and it is beautiful. If we look at an insect close up, it may be ugly, but if we drop back and look at the whole insect it becomes beautiful. We can drop back even more and observe what its role and purpose is, and the insect becomes even more beautiful and whole. How are we looking at ourselves? Are we focused on something ugly about ourselves, or are we dropping back and looking at ourselves as a whole? We all have purpose, and we are all beautiful. Grandfather, today, let me see the beauty of the whole |
Walk on a rainbow trail; walk on a trail of song,
and all about you will be beauty. There is a way out of every dark mist, over a rainbow trail. Navajo song |
Here's one that has to do with addiction,cause we all have an unhealthy addiction to something in our life.
"Many Native people are seeking healing at this time-some because they want to stop inflicting pain on themselves and their loved ones,some to quiet the tears of their children,and some because they want to fill the spiritual emptiness...We must learn to cry our tears of sorrow,to confront our shame,to forgive the unforgivable,and to return to the values of our ancestors-love,courage,justice, generosity,respect,humility,gratitude,and acceptance of those who are different."-The Red Road Book. |
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BornBronson~ Welcome and thank you for sharing this quote, you're correct at times in life we each face certain addictions, and this quote is profound. Timing is everything in life and this was right on time. |
Thanks Spirit Dancer,great thread.
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"Once you make a friend, a friend never leaves you, even to death. So a friend is really hard to find."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA Once, an Elder told me he made a decision to be my friend. He said this friendship wasn't based on my behavior or how I acted; he said the friendship was based on his decision. He decided to be my friend. This friendship has happened like he said. Even if I don't see him for a long time, or if I get mad at him, he has never changed his decision. This is true friendship. Great Spirit, I'm glad you are this kind of Friend. |
"The base of all things is love and respect."
--Vickie Downey, TEWA/Tesuque Pueblo The greatest weapon of any Spiritual Warrior is love. Love will change minds; love will forgive; love will let go; love will cause good luck; love will heal; love will cry; love will get rid of resentments; love will overcome fear. Love loves love. Any human who is loving will be guaranteed respect. Respect loves love. We need to love and respect ourselves. Grandmother, Grandfather, today, lead me on the path of love. |
Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because
our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look confidently at the world. We turn inward and begin to feed upon our own personalities, and little by little we destroy ourselves. With it we are creative. With it we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others. Chief Dan George |
“I think the most important issue we have as a people is what we started, and that is to begin to trust our own thinking again and believe in ourselves enough to think that we can articulate our own vision of the future and then work to make sure that that vision becomes a reality.”
This affected me last week...rest in peace Wilma Mankiller. |
"When people live far from the scenes of the Great Spirit's making, it's easy for them to forget his laws."
--Walking Buffalo, STONEY Society today is way off track. Unfortunately, many Indian people are caught up in these modern times. The Elders are telling us we must wake up! We must come back to the culture because this is where His laws are. If we don't follow these laws, we will be unhappy. We cannot do things just because everybody is doing them. This does not make it right. We must follow what the Great Spirit says we must do. We need to pray hard for the courage to come back and live according to the culture. It will be difficult at first but worth it in the end. We must teach our children the culture. Great Spirit, today, let me listen to the warnings of the Elders. |
There is no death, only change of worlds. ~Chief Seattle (Seathle)
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"But one should pray in one's heart during a sacred ceremony; this is the purpose of the ceremony, to purify the participants both inside and outside."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW How do you know if you are praying from your heart or from your head? Pray from your head and you will feel nothing; pray from your heart and you will feel feelings. You may feel sorrow, you may feel joy, you may want to cry, depending on what you are praying for. During the ceremony, the cleansing will take place. The Medicine Wheel teaches the four directions of inner power: emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. The prayer controls the emotional, mental and physical. When we ask for purification of our feelings, our mental mind and our physical body, the spiritual direction causes the cleansing to happen. Great Spirit, create in me a clean heart. |
"Women know more about love than men do...Love is taking. Love is sharing. Love is learning things about each other."
--Mary Leitka, HOH The Elders say Mother Earth shares Her special gifts of love with the Women. The Women know about bringing forth life and nurturing their offspring. Through this gift of love the Earth really makes the Woman special. Men should look upon the Woman with a Sacred Eye. She should be respected. The Woman is a role model for love. When the Woman talks, we should listen; when she shares, we should be grateful. We should all learn about each other. Grandmother, teach me to love with the power of the Woman |
"Our people don't come in parts. Either you are Indian, or you are not."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE We really need to take a look at how Indian People are talking about Indian People. We say there are Rez Indians, Traditional Indians, Urban Indians and Breeds. This type of thinking will keep us separated. An Indian is an Indian, a brother is a brother, a sister is a sister. We are all related. Today, let us respect ourselves and our people. Today, let me realize Indians are Indians. Great Spirit, let me see the Unity of the People. Indians are Indians. |
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Here's the written version
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Native American Code Of Ethics 1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak. 2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance. 3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. 4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor. 5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours. 6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant. 7. Honor other people's thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression. 8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you. 9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven. 10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism. 11. Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us. They are part of your worldly family. 12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life's lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow. 13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you. 14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe. 15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self - all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails. 16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions. 17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others - especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden. 18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first. 19. Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others. 20. Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity. This originally appeared in the "Inter-Tribal Times," October, 1994 |
"We all come from the same root, but the leaves are all different."
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA We all come from one Great Spirit but we are all different and unique. Nothing in the Great Creation has a twin that is identical. Even children that are twins are different. Every single person is extremely special and unique. Each person has a purpose and reason why they are on the Earth. Just like every leaf on a tree is different, each one is needed to make the tree look like it does. No leaf is better or worse than the other � all leaves are of equal worth and belong on the tree. It is the same with human beings. We each belong here and do things that will affect the great whole. Great Spirit, today, let me see myself as a valuable contributor to the whole |
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It's true... It's true then.. Variety IS the spice of life like my Gramma said. |
"You must be prepared and know the reason why you dance."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW Inside every human being is a need to dance. We dance to music. Have you even wondered why people are moved when they hear an Indian Drum? The drum is the heartbeat of the Mother Earth. Every Indian dance is for a purpose and a reason. Every Song is for a reason. The beat of the drum makes our bodies, minds, and spirits join together in harmony. It allows us to connect to Mother Earth and to each other. The dance aligns our minds to think spiritual thoughts. Dancing to the drum is healthy. Great Spirit, today, I dance to honor you. |
"Conciliation is the key to survival. Peace is the goal."
--Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders When we make decisions or experience conflict we need to look at the greater whole. The end result we want to accomplish is peace of mind. If we keep this goal in mind, we will, overall, live a happy and fulfilling life. Everything in the world is constantly changing so we should not resist this change. A good question to ask ourselves is, "would I rather be right or happy?". If we would rather be happy, then it is easier to let the little things go. If we would rather be right, we tend to look for the WIN/LOSE. Great Spirit, today, give me the tools to seek peace of mind. |
"Each creature has a medicine, so there are many medicines. Because they are so close to the Creator, they are to communicate that medicine. Then they bring help and health."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA The Elders say everything has a purpose and everything has a will. We should never interfere with purpose or the will of everything. Every plant, creature, animal, insect, and human being has a purpose to be here on the Earth. Each has a special medicine to contribute for the good of all things. Each person also has good medicine, a special talent, a special gift. These medicines are to help others or to help make us healthy. What is your special medicine? Creator, today, help me discover and use my medicine to serve a greater good |
"The real meaning of life is your family, the love that you have, the respect, the traditional ways, and carrying on with them."
--Ethel Wilson, COWICHAN The family is the seed of the future. The family is the key to the transfer of cultural information. We should really take a look at how we are looking at our families. Are we treating each family member with respect? Are we passing on the traditional ways? Are we teaching the old songs? Are we participating in the ceremonies? Are we showing the family members how to pray? Are we encouraging each family member to be spiritual? Think about these things today. My Creator, today, let me show respect to each family member. |
Not native But I like this quote
You should respect each other
and refrain from disputes; you should not, like water and oil, repel each other, but should, like milk and water, mingle together. The Buddha |
"Each person's prayers can help everyone."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW Prayer is our entrance into the Unseen World. It is by prayer we can call upon the powers and laws of the Great Spirit. The Spirit World has powers and laws that are different from the Physical World. The spiritual laws allow healing to take place; they allow forgiveness to occur; they cause miracles to happen; they cause hate to disappear; they heal broken relationships; they guide every moment of our lives; they allow us to love even when it's hard. Prayer allows us access to the Spirit World. Creator, teach me to pray. |
Spirit Dancer, I find this thread so comforting. Thank you. I come here every day, and every day I find a post of something of interest to me. I appreciate it very much so. |
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Andrew You're quite welocme, I'm glad you find comfort here. My friend I hope your day is beautiful. Here the storms are raging and even the cell towers are acting bizzare. |
Spirit Dancer, I am just living life day to day. Life is a gift. :goodscore: |
"In some mysterious and wonderful way you are part of everything, Nephew. And in that same mysterious and wonderful way, everything is a part of you."
--Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE In order to experience this, we must be aware of how limited our senses are � eyes, ears touch, smell, taste. These senses help us to function in the Seen World. What we see is interpreted by our minds and put inside our belief system, and this can become our reality. But there also exists an Unseen World. In this world we experience connectedness; we experience the mystery; and we experience another whole point of view. If we pay attention to both the Unseen World and the Seen World, our belief systems will print in our mind a new and wonderful reality. We will see and know we are a part of everything. Great Spirit, today, give me the knowledge to know this mystery. |
"You must be prepared and know the reason why you dance." --Thomas Yellowtail, CROW :mohawk: |
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Spirit's Poetry...aka Rain's Lullaby.... aka HOPE!
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"If those bad words come, I let them come in one ear and go out the other. I never let them come out of my mouth. If a bad word comes in your ear and then comes out of your mouth, it will go someplace and hurt somebody. If I did that, that hurt would come back twice as hard on me."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA What do we do with temptations when they come? What do we do when we hear gossip? What do we do when we hear bad things? If we hear these things and pass them on we will not only hurt the other person, but we will do harm to ourselves. We must be careful not to hurt others. Whatever we sow we will simultaneously reap for ourselves. We must be accountable for our own actions. Great Spirit, today, let no words come from my lips that would hurt another |
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and spirit of it.:moonstars: Thanks again. |
"The law is that all life is equal in the Great Creation, and we, the Human Beings, are charged with the responsibility, each in our generation, to work for the continuation of life."
--Traditional Circle of Elders Every generation is accountable to leave the environment in healthy order for the next generation. Every generation is accountable to teach the next generation how to live in harmony and to understand the Laws. We need to ask ourselves, "What are we teaching the next generation?". Each individual is directly accountable. My Creator, teach me inter-generational responsibility. |
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