Native American Path

" Spirituality is a very precarious subject. One person's meat is, as they say, another person's poison. The world is teeming with people who believe, and want others to believe exactly as they do. This is a shame, because no one has either the right (or in truth the ability) to convert others to their way of thinking.

"Of course, some would take issue with this and argue that every day people are being converted to one religion or another. Some are converted by what they read, others by what they are told. But these are not true conversions. People who are searching for meaning in their lives can be bullied, tricked or even genuinely persuaded by well-meaning evangelists that this or that spiritual path is not only the right one, but the only one. On the surface, converts may seem like happy believers, but beneath the surface they are still unsettled. Why? Because their conversion is simply an intellectual one, or a conversion borne on the wings of expediency. True conversion to any spiritual path involves not just the embracing of new doctrines, but a real change of heart.

"When I was a child, my maternal grandfather once told me a very wise thing. He said, "Convince a man against his will, and he's of the same opinion still".

"It’s true; a genuine conversion must be made willingly, without coercion and by the heart, not the intellect. This is why I find the Medicine Way – a colloquialism for North American indigenous spiritual beliefs – so satisfying.

"Native American spiritual paths – there are many different variations on the general theme – do not involve coercing people to "come and join us". To this day I've never heard an Indian try to convince someone to embrace the path that he or she walks. A tribal chief once said to me, "Brother, there should only ever be one person in your religion, and that's you".

"This may seem like a strange thing to say, but it’s true. Although in general terms we can talk about Native American spirituality in all its forms as a "path", when it comes to the individual believer there is only one person walking one path. We all walk our own path, and its different to everyone else's.

"Why? Because our relationship with Great Mystery is a very personal thing, and our way to the Creator is our own. No one else can walk our path, because everyone is born into a unique set of circumstances. We can fellowship together, pray together and support each other, but we cannot walk the same path in real terms. This world we live in is a school, and we are all students. We have to forge our own way to the Creator and stand or fall by our own decisions.

"Spiritually aware Native Americans, therefore, are not particularly evangelical. They have no desire to force their spiritual beliefs on anyone else. They may offer advice and counsel when asked, but they will never tell you what to do.

"The root of the Medicine Way is based on two basic principles; faith and connection. Faith involves trust, hope and belief. Connection involves being at one with the Creation; feeling that you are part of a greater whole.

"I have spent time living on a reservation, and the thing that impressed me most is how the Medicine Way – medicine simply means "spirit" - can be embraced with so little knowledge and understanding. There is no need to read volumes of scripture or understand complex theological concepts; all you need to do is walk out into the open air and allow yourself to be taken by the majesty of the universe we live in. Mother Earth and the Grandfather Spirits will do the rest.

"Native American spirituality is not devoid of ritual or practice, however. Just the opposite. To the spiritually aware Indian, everything has meaning. Prayer, dances and even the hum-drum aspects of daily life are filled with spiritual significance. Rocks, feathers, leaves, rivers, flowers, animals...they are all part of the "greater whole", and this is why Indians treat seemingly mundane objects and artefacts with such significance. More than that, Indians believe that everything that exists is, in some way, alive. In the Indian mind there is no such idea of "deadness". Nothing dies, they believe; things merely change their state or nature. This is why they often refer to trees as "the Standing People", rivers as "the Long People" and rocks as "the Stone People"; everything is, you see, alive.

"Believing that everything possesses life leads to a much greater respect for the natural world. It teaches us that we need to be careful how we act, for everything we do has consequences for other living things.

"Some years ago, Bear Paw told me a story. He had been walking through a wood as a child, accompanied by his grandmother. As children are wont to do, he kicked a stone lying on the path.

"Why did you do that?" his grandmother asked.

"I don't know", he replied, "I just did".

"Did you ever stop to think that the pebble may have been quite happy where it was?", she queried.

"Many people would be puzzled at this response; after all, Bear Paw had simply kicked a pebble, which seems like no big deal. However, to Indians he had violated an important principle; everything we do has consequences, therefore we should do nothing without a reason, and without thinking about it first.

"Most Indians – at least all the ones I have met - believe that we have no right to force others into our own belief system. We all have to find our own path, and everyone's path is different. Who are we to say that a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, Jew, Druid or Hindu is "in the wrong religion"? If they need to change, then their Creator will gently guide them. It is not our concern.

"I believe that there is, beyond this physical world, another of far greater significance. One day we will all journey there and enjoy a much greater understanding of the universe. Death should hold no fears for us, for it is simply the passing from one room to another.

"Honesty, truthfulness, dignity, courage, sincerity and wisdom are not the province of only one religion; they belong to all. The Medicine Way involves embracing Mother Earth and everything beyond Her in a spirit of love and warmth. If we do that – no matter what path we walk – then Great Mystery will never desert us. One day, despite all our failings, we will come to know the truth.