Explorations

In my spiritual quest, I consider the ideas of a wide array of those who speak spiritually. Today I read "Black Elk Speaks," and I feel led to share one of his prayers that touched me deeply. Please read it and consider what it says to you.

Hey hey! hey! hey! hey!hey!hey!hey!
Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always, and before you no other has been. There is no other one one to pray to but you. You yourself, everything that you see, everything has been made by you. The star nations all over the universe you have finished. The four quarters of the earth you have finished. The day, and in that day, everything you have finished. 

Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth that you may hear the voice I send. You towards where the sun goes down, behold me; Thunder Beings, behold me! You where the White Giant lives in power, behold me! You where the sun shines continually, whence come the daybreak star and the day, behold me!  You where the summer lives, behold me! You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold! And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother, you who have shown mercy to your children!

Hear me, four quarters of the world - a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds.

Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike With tenderness have these come up out of the ground Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms, that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet.

This is my prayer, hear me! The voice I have sent is weak, yet with earnestness I have sent it Hear me! It is finished. Hetchetu aloh.

I hear the universal mystical knowing that all is One and everything comes from the One Spirit, God. We on this planet are all relatives, our bodies springing from earth and our souls from God. It takes faith and strength to stay awake to this, and to walk earth aware of the knowledge that all we meet are our brothers and sisters. As I re-read this prayer, I hear more and more to which I can relate. My words might be different, but I do express the same sentiments.

Once again I see that the great mystics of all people, all times, all places, all religious orientation - come to the same common highest conclusions, Sure the details may be different, but in essence they have each touched the Holy Presence and know the same principles from the same Source.

Oh how I wish the people of earth could know this and stop the senseless quarrels, violence and hatred that come from being separate from one another, or I should say that come from the illusion that we are separate.

The details may be different. I say Christ Consciousness, you might say Buddha Consciousness, or whoever consciousness, but we speak of the same kind of life lived in kindness, love, compassion, forgiveness, etc. We must not let the details keep us imprisoned, frozen, paralyzed so that our brothers and sisters are fair game to shun, torture or murder. We must rise up to live the underlying principles.

Let us commit ourselves to be aware of our selves and practice moment by moment to show up as kindness, love, compassion, forgiveness and all that we know to be holy and right. Practice practice practice and become kindness, love, compassion, forgiveness walking