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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:33:22 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 2 "Think only about what is holy. Empty your mind." --Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA If we let our minds wander, we will come up with a lot of junk: maybe bad thoughts about a brother or sister, maybe angry thoughts, maybe self-pity thoughts. Our minds are not the boss. We can instruct our mind to think about whatever we want to think about. We cannot stop thinking, be we can choose what to think about. The Elders say we move towards what we think about. That's why they say, "Think about what is holy, think about the Grandfathers, think about culture, think about values, think about ceremonies, and think about good."
Great Spirit, today, empty my mind and let me experience what it would be like to think about what is holy.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:33:43 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 3 "But I have learned a lot from trees: sometimes about the weather, sometimes about animals, sometimes about the Great Spirit." --Walking Buffalo, STONEY Nature is the greatest teacher on the Earth. Nature produces many different plants, animals, trees, rocks, birds, insects and weather patterns. Nature designed all these various things to grow and multiply while at the same time live in harmony with each other. We can learn a lot of we observe and study Nature's system of harmony and balance. Today, go sit on a rock and quietly observe and ask to be shown the lessons.
Great Spirit, Nature is my teacher. Today, let me be the student.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:34:15 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 4 The whole religion is like a preparation. It's a preparation for going to the Good Land or to the place of your ancestors. We all have to go through it. We all know this. ---- Horace Axtell, NEZ PERCE There are two Worlds that exist. The Seen World and the Unseen World. Sometimes these worlds are called the Physical World and the Spiritual World. The Elders say, when it is time to go to the other side, our relatives will appear a few days before to help us enter the Spirit World. This is a happy place; the hunting is good; the place of the Grandfathers, the Creator, the Great Spirit, God, is a joyful place.
Grandfathers, today, let me look forward to the Wpirit World. Bless all my Relations.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:34:37 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 5 "There are many things to be shared with the four colors of man in our common destiny as one family upon our Mother the Earth." ---- Traditional Circle of Elders, NORTHERN CHEYENNE The Elders tell us the time will come when the four colors of Man will unite into one family. According to prophecies, we were told this would happen when the Sun was blocked in the Seventh Moon. There was an eclipse of the Sun in July, 1991. We are now in a new Springtime called the Coming Together Time. Each of the four colors of man has knowledge that the other colors need to heal their families. Let us all be willing to sit in a circle and respect our differences.
Creator, let me be willing to have an open mind.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:35:10 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 6 "We must remember that the heart of our religion is alive and that each person has the ability within to awaken and walk in a sacred manner." ---- Thomas Yellowtail, CROW The Native Spirituality is full of life. When we seek it we become alive. Even if we have gone astray and have conducted ourselves in a bad way, we can look within and have a new awakening to life. Maybe we have drunk too much alcohol; maybe we have cheated on our spouse; maybe we have done things that make us feel guilty and ashamed. If we look outside ourselves, we will not find life; if we look inside, we will find life. Anytime we choose to change our lives, we only need to look inside. How do we do this? Take some sage and light it, close your eyes and say to the Great Sirit, I'm tired, I need your help. Please help me change.
Great Spirit, I know you exist inside of myself. Let me awaken to your teachings.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:35:35 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 7 "We must all become caretakers of the Earth." ---- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders Mother Earth is the source of all life. We should not only be concerned about the part of the Earth we live on, but we should be concerned about the parts of the Earth that other people live on. The Earth is one great whole. The trees in Brazil generate the air in the Untied States. If the trees are cut in Brazil, it affects the air that all people breathe. Every person needs to conscientiously think about how they respect the Earth. Do we dump our garbage out of the car? Do we poison the water? Do we poison the air? Am I taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker of the Earth?
Great Spirit, today, I will be aware of the Earth. I will be responsible.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:35:58 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 8 "Anyways, with medicine there's a time and a place for everything. It only comes around once. You have to get it at the right time." ---- Cecilia Mitchell, MOHAWK The old ones say two things must be present for a miracle to take place. One, the right time. Two, the right place. This is why we need to honor our ceremonies. Ceremonies are done in an order. This order is applied to open a "door" to the right time and place of the medicine. This door opens to the Spiritual World. The Spiritual World is available to us at the right time and the right place.
My Creator, let me be patient today so the timing is right.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:36:31 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 9 "Without a sacred center, no one knows right from wrong." ---- Thomas Yellowtail, CROW In the center of the circle is where the powers reside. These powers are called love, principle, justice, spirtual knowledge, life, forgiveness and truth. All these powers reside in the very center of the human being. We access these powers by being still, quieting the mind. If we get confused, emotionally upset, feel resentment, anger, or fear, the best thing we can do is pray to the Great Spirit and ask Him to remove the anger and resentment. By asking Him to remove these obstacles, we are automatically positioned in the sacred center. Only in this way do we know right from wrong.
Great Spirit, allow me this day to live in the sacred center.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:37:07 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 10 "When you go inside that power, there's no fear. It's so beautiful!! There's no fear there. There's no pain." ---- Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA Imagine you are standing on the edge of a stage. In the center of the stage is a spotlight shining from above. If you stand anyplace outside the spotlight, in the darkness, you will experience fear. But as soon as you step into the light in the center of the stage, all fear and pain go away. When we stand in the power, fear cannot exist. How do we find this place of power? We pray our way into it. We ask the Creator to take our hand and help us. When we get to that place, we will feel the fear go away.
Great Spirit, hold my hand and guide me today.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:37:54 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 11 "[The Old People] would gather words as they walked a sacred path across the Earth, leaving nothinig behind but prayers and offerings." ---- Cleone Thunder, NORTHERN ARAPAHOE Whenever we walk on the Earth, we should pay attention to what is going on. Too often our minds are somewhere else, thinking about the past or thinking about the future. When we do this, we are missing important lessons. The Earth is a constant flow of lessons and learnings which also include a constant flow of positive feelings. If we are aware as we walk, we will gather words for our lives, the lessons to help our children; we will gather feelings of interconnectedness and calmness. When we experience this, we should say or think thoughts of gratitude. When we do this, the next person to walk on the sacred path will benefit even more.
My Creator, today, let me be aware of the sacred path.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:38:38 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 12 "All the stones that are around here, each one has a language of its own. Even the earth has a song." ---- Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA To believe that every tree, plant and insect can talk takes an open mind. Go by yourself into nature and sit quietly. Then pick up a rock and listen to your thoughts. After a while, put that rock down and pick up another rock. Your thoughts will change. These are the voices and wisdom of the Stone People. Each one has different wisdom and they are willing to share their wisdom with you. Many of the Stone People are very old and very wise.
Great Spirit, let every rock and leaf be my teacher.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:39:45 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 13 "But the great spirit has provided you and me with an opportunity for study in nature's university, the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and the animals which include us." ---- Walking Buffalo, STONEY What we really need to learn is how to live life. Nature is the greatest university when we want to learn about balance, harmony, the Natural Laws and how to live life. But we will never learn unless we spend time in the "living university." Nature is full of examples, lessons, and exercises about life. Nature will help humans learn. Nature will help humans heal. Nature will help with Medicine, knowledge and healing. The reason our Elders are so wise is because they have attended the right educational system - nature's university.
Great Spirit, help me to become wise.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:40:11 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 14 "Prayer is the best answer to all of the trials that face us, because without prayer, even if we succeed in accomplishing some great goal in the eyes of men, we have failed in our sacred responsibilities, and thus we have failed in what is truly important." --Thomas Yellowtail, CROW What are our sacred responsibilities? One is to be of maximum service to the Creator, and two is to serve the people. In a way, it's like the Great Spirit is the employer and we are the employees. We live each day, do what we do, accomplish our goals, face our difficulties, overcome them all to the Glory of the Creator. We do these things to make Him proud! Even if we work for a company, agency or tribe, they are nor really our employer; the Creator is our employer. Working for the Creator is better than working for a human being, because each night we can talk to the Creator and ask Him, "Well, how did I do today?" He answers back each night, "I'm proud of you, my child; sleep well, and in the morning I'll give you a new set of growing experiences."
Great Spirit, today, let me work for you. You will be my new boss.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:41:02 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 15 "We must have respect and understanding for women and all female life on this Earth which bears the sacred gift of life." --Traditional Circle of Elders. ONONDAGA At a gathering of Native Elders we were told that many men of today had lost their ability to look at the Woman in a sacred way. They said we were only looking at Her in a physical sense and had lost the ability to look at Her sacredness. They said the Woman has a powerful position in the Unseen World. She has the special ability to bring forth life. They told us to start showing Her respect and to look upon her in a sacred manner. We must start this today.
Grandfather, show me how to see in a sacred way.
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Post by Shaman on May 18, 2008 16:41:56 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - May 16 "It's time. If you are to walk the path of heart, then it is time..." --Nippawanock, ARAPAHOE If not now, when? If not me, who? To walk the path of the heart is a great honor. Every human has the choice to walk this path, but very few will decide to make it. Why? Well, because you can't act and behave like everyone else behaves. You must be the person who will learn to look within. You must be the person who will be fully accountable for yourself. You must be the person who prays and meditates. You must be the person who will sacrifice. You must decide to be a Peaceful Warrior. What will you decide today?
Oh, Great Mystery, lead me on the path of the heart.
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