I’ve had some pretty profound teachings, the past few weeks. I can’t share all of them with everyone. But I got a pretty good dose of humility recently.
Which leads me to a discussion that I had with an Elder. We got to chatting about many of our teachings, and our way of life. We got to talking about the 7 Grandfather teachings and he reinforced the notion that our way of life, is an action. He emphasized that we need to LIVE the teachings, not just read about them and speak about them.
We talked for a long time him and I, and after I walked away, I started to really think about life and the teachings. About living life, in order to receive the teachings.
One teaching that the Ancestors have been teaching me lately is humility. This is a teaching that you actually have to physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually practice. Just when you think that you have reached a certain level of humility, there is another level, another chapter that you have to learn. (We will continue to learn until the day we die, if we don’t then we aren’t really being humble now are we? Know it all!)
Getting up everyday, and humbling yourself to Creator with your prayers and offerings is humility. Fasting alone without food and water is humbling yourself. Sundancing, Raindancing, Inipi Ceremony (Sweat lodge) ceremony is all about humbling yourself. There is a deeper and much more profound understanding about humility, that no written words, can describe. It only comes by living it, and feeling it within your spiritual centre.
This leads me to my next point. Many of us, do not know how to be humble. Many of us were never taught our ways and therefore do not understand some of our teachings. But alas! That is not to say, that our ancestors do not teach them, or have forgotten about them. Struggle is one way of learning humility, and if you are Onkwehonwe, you have probably struggled. But did you learn the humility teaching that went with it?
Many of us, think humility is only about a mental state. No, its not, we feel and learn humility in all four quadrants, (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) of the human being.
I don’t see a lot of people being humble these days. And I attribute a lot of it, to the society we are programmed to function in. From daycare, all the way to university and beyond, we are taught to be individuals, and that life is a Darwinian way of life. “Its a dog eat dog world,” “Survival of the fittest,” blah blah blah. We don’t see the humility in just being among our peers, and being a good servant to Creation. We are too busy getting our degrees and Ph.d’s because its the only way to survive in the world, or we are the polar opposite, and we want to be Chiefs, pipe carriers, a seer, a contrary, a war chief or medicine person. The truth is, we aren’t all born to be all of those things. Humility is understanding what your role is, and LIVING it to the fullest potential. Even if that means your role is chopping wood and hauling water for the Elders for the rest of your life. Humility is understanding it, accepting it, and being happy about it.
I am the harshest critic of my own self. Maybe I’m too harsh at times. Which may explain why I am harsh to the rest of you people. (Or maybe i’m just an asshole, you b the judge).
I’m harshest on White people, because the majority of you REALLY need to humble yourselves a lot more. I make fun of you, and say somethings that are really just there to teach you. I’m trying to get you to open up and see your inner and outer self (that your outer reflection is not a good mirror of your inner).
But hey White people don’t get down, on yourselves. (Imagine what we Onkwehonwe have had to deal with since contact). You white folks are some of the greatest teachers in the world. With all your egotistical, materialistic and self centredness, I know exactly what not to be like.
“All hail white people. The reason for our colonization, and the and the answer to our liberation.”
(I’m just messing with y’all. Or am I? Happy humility!!)
I have to head out now before the lynch mob is at my door!
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