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The Oral Tradition
By Cinnamon Moon
I was thinking today about the oral
tradition in Native teaching and among other cultures. It's
sort of like home schooling isn't it? Instead of sitting in
school with oversized classrooms we find smaller groups and
individual tutoring for specialized training in various subjects…very
specific attention paid to the student. Why? Because small groups
and individual students have their own needs. If a small group
of people are studying the same thing and working on development
of the same abilities a group lesson would make sense. On the
other hand, if an individual has needs that do not meet the
group focus it calls for private tutoring or mentoring. The
Oral Tradition is the answer.
So many of us can get caught up
in the technical information available through online searches
(expediency), in books (handy dandy reference points), CD's
(learning on the go), etc. in our fast-paced society. We've
come to want instant answers to things but spiritual seeking
isn't an instant process and we soon discover that for ourselves.
Even amid the Native teachings there are countless traditions
from the hundreds of Tribes throughout the Americas. Which Tribe's
teachings are right for us? What are the common threads? Why
are they different? Whoa Nellie! What *a-r-e* they talking about?
Is the confusion coming from rhetorical statements or semantics?
Which tradition will make sense and which ones don't?
For the seeker new to indigenous
ways who is looking to develop their spiritual path there is
an early stage of devouring written material. Voraciously reading
to feed the hungry mind brings repetition into play…what
in those written words is repetitively being presented? These
things stand out-"Oh, I've read that before a few times.
Okay, now I get it, next." Through osmosis we take in the
common threads this way and we explore what resonates with us
the strongest. Often that's what's easiest to understand and
just as often it leaves us with a growing list of questions
and no place to find the answers-yet.
We're more observant initially too.
Things catch our eye-you know, the items that relate to the
spiritual tradition we're interested in: handcrafting, indigenous
objects, perhaps regalia or instruments, cultural items that
tell us things and we want to touch and feel them for ourselves.
Contact seems important, perhaps we go to events where these
items are on display or for sale; events like attending a Pow
Wow or exploring vendors at a community cultural gathering.
We see so many items and want to explore them, understand the
symbolism, the beading or hand painting, oh those questions
start to gather themselves fast. What does the Drum-head feel
like, how tight is it? Look at how the sinew is strung to hold
it in place, what craftsmanship! What does the baton feel like,
how did they make it? What does it sound like when you strike
it? Boom, boom, boom…now we know. How about that one over
there, is that going to sound the same? No?! Wow, they all sound
different, some have greater resonance, so many sizes, so many
sounds coming out of them…we begin to understand slowly
how the Sacred Drums of others are said to have their own Voice,
ah-ha! That's what they mean! And as we strike the different
Drums we start to feel the different vibrations, some feel good
and others don't. We start to understand how selecting a Drum
might be a very painstaking process, and not much different
than the time it takes to learn to craft one to our liking ourselves…either
way it requires time and effort to get it right.
We may ask questions of the individual
showing us the items on display or of someone in the vicinity
who might know how to answer our curious mind. That information
is usually very topical and generalized; a mere sampling of
insight; it is enough to wet our appetite as we wander on to
the next object. Physical contact in this manner teaches us
something, we're getting familiar with this environment in bits
and pieces, learning to appreciate things a little at a time.
As we strike up small conversations
here and there it leads to more insight. In this way we begin
asking for direction on our path of seeking knowledge by inquiry
into areas that interest us. Our captive mind begins a sort
of hop-scotch method of finding answers where we can. If we're
lucky we find someone who can tell us about a group or workshop
in the area we might want to attend and we look into things
a little deeper. We might begin seeking websites with like-minded
people to pick minds and share experiences that give us a stronger
basis to go on. That serves for a time too but what happens
when the books and independent groups have hit a saturation
point? What happens when it all starts to run together and everything
is sounding the same? What happens when those answers aren't
taking us where we need to go, fall short of the understanding
we need, don't quite hit the mark? Something's missing, we feel
it and we feel a need to find someone who can tell us what that
is or where to go to find out…we need to communicate…we
begin searching for someone who holds those answers.
In the old ways a person would seek
out the Tribal Shamans or Medicine Chiefs, they would seek to
learn in the Oral Tradition where things are fine-tuned, customized
to our needs, and we are guided as we learn to make our own
way with the new knowledge. But there isn't a Medicine Chief
with an office in the local business complex, and there isn't
a Shaman with a kiosk at the local mall tending to the needs
of the busy shoppers. Indigenous people are often closed to
those outside their culture learning about their ways and often
antagonized by anyone making inquiry-or just the opposite but
how do you know who to approach and how that approach will be
received? What if there is no local indigenous connection point
to begin seeking someone with answers? Will you ever find someone
like that? Where do you begin looking? You start to ask questions
of everyone and sooner or later someone says to you: "Go
talk to __________, tell them I sent you."
The old adage: "When the student
is ready, the teacher appears" is true. Trust it. We come
to a point where we feel the need for a teacher and we voraciously
seek one just as we voraciously read and explored what we could
of the cultural artifacts or items. What we need to understand
is that 'feeling' of need is the impression that a teacher is
about to appear somehow, and it tells us to be aware but patient.
It tells us to keep seeking information, keep asking questions,
keep trying to find our directions that will take us into the
vicinity of that teacher, but that it's timed as to when that
individual will cross our path or we will cross theirs. We need
to go deeper, we develop a hunger to know more, to understand
better, to experience the things others talk about and if we
aren't careful our anxiousness becomes impatience and frustration.
Figuring out what we need to be
taught comes from all that exploring because we know what our
questions are and we begin asking them of anyone and everyone
we can: "How do I find more information about ________?"
We start to seek direction and in that we focus in on what we
need to learn, our questions lead us down the path, our areas
of interest lead us down the path, and
we open wider to finding our answers. In time, the teacher appears,
often out of nowhere they just seem to cross our path, through
introduction or by 'accident' it doesn't matter, what matters
is we seem to recognize them when they come. There's something
about them we can't ignore and we want to know more of what
they know. We feel the need and we impulsively find a way to
approach, strike up a conversation with them to find out how
willing they are to share.
A conversation here, a conversation
there…what's happening? We've stepped back, stepped away
from the modern conveniences of online searches and the pile
of books that confuse us with so many variations on the methods
of attuning to whatever in-sight we're seeking and we begin
to narrow things down. The overview behind us, we're ready now
to become the serious student and when that happens somehow
the teacher appears…we've stepped back into the Oral Tradition
then, it's become personal…we have a mentor who can teach
us many things, perhaps pass us on to another teacher for specialized
knowledge, and we study with many different teachers as we go
this way but it's always through the Oral Tradition that the
in-depth answers reside…why is it they just don't put that
into a book? *Soft smile-rhetorical question, just think about
it.*
In the Oral Tradition the teacher
is not an authority over others, nor are they all-wise or all-knowing,
but they are a communicator of the knowledge they possess and
that knowledge is shared according to the needs of the individual
that is receiving it…customized if you will. The Oral Tradition
offers a more casual yet focused tutoring whereby the individuals
develop a close relationship and level of confidence because
of the intimacy that arises. Trust is there and reflected as
the student opens and begins to grow…this trust is not
blind, it is based on respect that goes both ways. The teacher
is mentor, therapist, healer, and more and the relationship
becomes extremely intimate with shared confidences over time.
This is a time when you do walk and talk with someone, fine-tuning
your grasp of foundations and where the path you are walking
can take you. I love to see that the knowledge is passed on
this way, there will always be a need for it and I see it here
at Spirit Lodge all the time among our community members; what
a good feeling that is.
In the Native style of Oral Tradition
the individual approaches asking to learn more-but that's not
enough. It's a only the start because the teacher is going to
be looking for signs that tell them the student is serious (if
they haven't been forewarned by guidance to be watching for
them already, they will be told by guidance when the student
comes). That teacher will either accept or reject the request
and they will validate that through the introduction process.
If you are rejected do not take that as a personal slight, see
it as the wrong Medicine for you to study at that time and keep
walking. If you don't then you're going to be disappointed and
discouraged.
Everyone is worthy of a teacher
and Spirit will see you have yours. From there the teacher will
ask about the circumstances that brought that seeker to them.
The answer the seeker gives indicates what they will discuss
from there if anything. The teacher is going to be looking at
the signs that would indicate sharing should take place, if
they are there then they will continue, if not the session ends
and there will be no more between them. However, when those
signs are there they stand out like the Full Moon in an ebony
sky. They are unmistakable to one who knows how to see between
the worlds, how to scan or read someone, and how to see the
truth in them.
An agreement is made to share knowledge
in stages and a commitment of some sort is called for. Matching
the student step for step, that teacher will share only as much
information as the student is willing to invest their own efforts
toward learning about. It makes no sense to do more than that,
and it makes a lot of sense to see how far that student is willing
to go with their growth. As a student it is disrespectful to
expect not to do homework and put forth that effort, you're
wasting the time of the teacher who could be helping someone
else grow. So as long as the student is willing and continues
to apply themselves they will work together.
Often one teacher leading to the
next through introductions in the same way one Spirit Helper
will lead us to another. Each teacher has knowledge of foundational
information and from there is specialized according to their
abilities. So there is going to be a limit to how far we can
walk with any given individual. In most cases a seasoned pathwalker
is going to know other more advanced individuals and will introduce
you to them or recommend you seek them out giving you a referral
in most instances. We have many teachers in life and we limit
ourselves if we sit only at the feet of one. We limit ourselves
to the extent of their knowledge.
It's important to see that the full
scope of knowledge we personally need is quite likely beyond
that of a single teacher. Just as the student attending college
undertakes many different courses of study, there are many courses
of study along the path of spiritual enlightenment within the
indigenous teachings. We need to remember that we will have
a variety of teachers to walk with us. In each case it is the
Oral Tradition that brings us through those relationships and
creates the communication necessary to learn our lessons well,
to hone our abilities, to expand our awareness, and learn to
walk between the worlds.
Initially the oral sharing is informal,
getting a feel for one another, a little history exchanged,
experiences the student has had are discussed and a relationship
between the individuals becomes established. This tells the
teacher where the student needs to focus and how to bring them
to the teachings through meeting individual needs…the interests
the seeker holds indicate the need to know and the foundations
are presented in that context. Ah the benefits of that personal
attention are boundless! Once this is accomplished the foundations
are broken down further as an overview of more formal traditional
views is presented in a way the seeker is able to then grasp.
From there the lessons are broken down again to present aspects
one at a time for deeper understanding and attunement to them.
As the student works through them
development of their own abilities begins, the senses are explored
and become intensified in the process, you'll find introduction
to guidance takes place, and conscious awareness begins to heighten.
The work begins in earnest there and continues. Blockages are
encountered and removed, challenges and fears are faced, and
breakthroughs are achieved as the seeker develops their techniques
along with their understanding of how to accomplish their goals.
It takes dedicated effort to do this and it takes time.
Native tradition is founded first
along the perspectives of the Seven Sacred Directions and from
there it goes into the Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel holds
all teachings in a symbolic matrix of 36 stones…36 subjects
with multiple layers and fractions to them. Oral Tradition provides
a more intimate understanding of each stone placement and each
stone is a course of study
undertaken. When this is complete the student is able to stand
on their own. Don't get me wrong, you don't know it all once
the matrix is understood, it will take you a lifetime to explore
it and you still won't know because the knowledge keeps expanding,
it's infinite.
Initially, much effort goes into
this kind of study on both the part of the seeker and the teacher
sharing what they know, but without someone to discuss the ongoing
experiences and put them into proper perspective the student
is lost or taking a very long road of discovery through trial
and error. The teacher is able to point the way to understanding
the symbology and languages of the spirit worlds. The basic
foundational teachings take about a year to grasp before someone
is ready to take on the Medicine Wheel in ernest. After the
Seven Sacred Directions have been explored the seeker discovers
they have already stepped into the Medicine Wheel and passed
through 7 courses of study, 29 more remain but the direction
is there, they see how to proceed and there's no anxiety, just
anticipation and passion that fuel them to pursue their pathway.
Through Oral Tradition the student
learns to adjust their perceptions and connective tissues of
the spiritual and mundane realities learning to bring them into
union…duality into Oneness. It will never go out of style
because it is the key to the fine-tuning every serious seeker
needs. Oral teachings vary in that they are sometimes presented
in a group setting. The Elders share in this manner much as
speakers share today in workshops. Overviews, general concepts,
foundational perspectives all fall into this arena well. However
for the personal growth and development it calls for a one on
one relationship…there are things that simply are not meant
for group work. In a way it's like therapy, you can accomplish
a lot in group therapy sessions but there still comes a time
to focus on the individual and their personal needs.
Most of the Medicine taught is very
private and sacred, not everyone is going to be comfortable
with others knowing their business on that level. Guidance brings
forth some very personal visions at these times and that should
always be respected and honored, in the Oral Tradition it is
treated in that way. The teacher is counselor, analyst, mentor,
healer, confidant and so much more. There may be call to do
soul-retrieval, regression sessions, healing sessions in a variety
of ways. There will be journey work and deep inner work as you
come to know your Inner Spirit and it's the teacher that will
guide you through all that. In certain cases a Vision Quest
is called for, the teacher will know if that's being indicated
and if it is the case they will either guide you through it
themselves or introduce you to someone who can.
Through the Oral Tradition the student
is going to undergo some very deep exploration of their inner
being. The mind, body, and spirit must undergo purges as layers
of toxic energy waste are cleansed….misconceptions and
distractions of the mind, impurities in the body, and cleansing
the energy of the spirit begin. The seeker is prepared to receive
the knowledge this way so that they can walk with the 3-I's:
Integrity, Intent, and Impeccability. The 3-I's are not rigid
rules of conduct, they are ethical rules of conduct based on
each individual's perspectives so it is important that the seeker
become aware of 'how' they walk their path and learn to discern
for themselves what those ethical approaches are in any given
situation. We are faced with many challenges in life and relationships
with others and depending on the circumstances those ethics
need to be able to be adaptive within the arena of sacred principles.
How one adapts is up to them, but we are each responsible for
our actions, our words, and our intentions dictate what that
responsibility brings to bear...whether or not we will experience
blessings or unpleasant consequences.
The Oral Tradition is the mainstay
of learning the finer techniques of honing our minds, bodies,
and spirits. It is not an antiquated concept, it is not 'dead',
it is alive and well serving those who enter into it. It's important
to remember that when the seeker is ready the mentor is going
to appear. If you are seeking do not be impatient, do not feel
you will be left out, do not worry about who that teacher will
be or when they will come to cross your path. Instead know that
when you are ready that teacher will come forward, not too soon,
not too late, but at just the right time for you. Do not worry
that they will be too busy for you, they will know you for who
you are, they will have the time or know how to make it, and
they will walk with you…as teacher, mentor, and quite possibly
as your friend.
When the time is right the Oral
Tradition comes into play…part of that tradition exists
here at Spirit Lodge, there are many community members among
us and all are at different stages of development. Amid us you
are going to find different individuals with various areas of
expertise to draw from. We are all seekers learning from each
other, contributing to the resources of the site and evolving
together. We have a very special home here; our resources are
significant and expanding with us, the pool of knowledge is
vast and growing, and we are blessed to walk together.
It may be that you will find your
teachers among us and work independently together privately.
You will likely find yourself sharing experiences as you can,
entering into the Oral Tradition through the various developmental
forums. These forums are designed to let you ask questions,
sort through issues in development, and share what you've learned
with others at the same time. It may be that one of our resource
links leads you to a teacher in your area or you are inspired
to seek one out and explore further beyond Spirit Lodge. It
may be that someone can direct you to another individual not
affiliated with the Lodge. Whatever the case may be, we are
a good place to start.
I invite you to consider the value
of the Oral Tradition in your life as well as in our forums.
I invite you to utilize the site for all it's worth and to delve
into the areas of Native spirituality that interest you. You
don't have to be shy with your questions, they are all important
parts of your sorting process and worthy of answers. Often they
are questions others hold too but are too shy to ask about,
many benefit when members ask about things. We love to share
so ask us what you will-we'll do our very best to help you find
the answers.
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Libraries
are on this row
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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©
Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
All rights reserved.
Site
constructed by Dragonfly
Dezignz 1998-date
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