We in Greenleaf Integrative Strategies are currently in the process of organizing technical assistance in Mumbai to psychosocial and mental health workers responding to the recent terror attacks. The Government of India’s National Disaster Management Authority has deemed there to be a major shortage in professionally-trained, disaster-prepared practitioners.
Greenleaf's programs include Professional Development and Continuing Education that work best in the late acute or post acute periods of mass disaster. We will play a supportive role to practitioners (therapists, spiritual care providers & health care workers) in order to enhance the sustainability of disaster response.
It is of the utmost importance that practitioners do not prematurely burnout or develop trauma themselves in the process of working in the midst of terrorized people. Supervisors and organizations can learn how to manage practitioners’ stress levels with self-care and other methodologies in order to mitigate vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
This is Your Brain on Bliss
by Matthieu Ricard
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3046
Matthieu Ricard quit his career as a cellular geneticist nearly 40 years ago to study Buddhism. He is the French translator for the Dalai Lama.
What is happiness, and how can we achieve it?
Happiness can't be reduced to a few agreeable sensations. Rather, it is a way of being and of experiencing the world-a profound fulfillment that suffuses every moment and endures despite inevitable setbacks.
The paths we take in search of happiness often lead us to frustration and suffering instead. We try to create outer conditions that we believe will make us happy. But it is the mind itself that translates outer conditions into happiness or suffering. This is why we can be deeply unhappy even though we "have it all"-wealth, power, health, a good family, etc.-and, conversely, we can remain strong and serene in the face of hardship.
Authentic happiness is a way of being and a skill to be cultivated. When we first begin, the mind is vulnerable and untamed, like that of a monkey or a restless child. It takes practice to gain inner peace, inner strength, altruistic love, forbearance, and other qualities that lead to authentic happiness.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama often teaches that, while there are limitations to how much information one can learn and to our physical performance, compassion can be developed boundlessly.
Practicing Happiness
It is not difficult to begin. You just have to sit from time to time, turn your mind within, and let your thoughts calm down. Focus your attention on a chosen object. It can be an object in your room, your breath, or your own mind. Inevitably, your mind will wander as you do this. Each time it does, gently bring it back to the object of concentration, like a butterfly that returns again and again to a flower.
In the freshness of the present moment, past is gone, future is not yet born, and-if one remains in pure mindfulness and freedom-disturbing thoughts arise and go without leaving a trace. That is basic meditation.
Pure consciousness without content is something all those who meditate regularly and seriously have experienced-it is not just some sort of Buddhist theory. And anyone who takes the trouble to stabilize and clarify his or her mind will be able to experience it, too. It is through this unconditioned aspect of consciousness that we can transform the content of mind through training.
But meditation also means to cultivate basic human qualities, such as attention and compassion, and new ways of experiencing the world. What really matters is that a person gradually changes. Over months and years, we become less impatient, less prone to anger, less torn between hopes and fears. It becomes inconceivable to willingly harm another person. We develop a propensity toward altruistic behavior and the cluster of qualities that give us the resources to deal with the ups and downs of life.
The point here is that you can look at your thoughts, including strong emotions, with a pure mindfulness that is not associated with the contents of the thoughts.
Take the example of malevolent anger. We usually identify with anger. Anger can fill our mental landscape and project its distorted reality on people and events. When we are overwhelmed by anger, we cannot dissociate from it. We perpetuate a vicious circle of affliction by rekindling anger each time we see or remember the person who makes us angry. We become addicted to the cause of suffering.
But if we dissociate from anger and look at it with mindfulness, that which is aware of anger is not angry, and we can see that anger is just a bunch of thoughts. Anger doesn't cut like a knife, burn like a fire, or crush like a rock; it is nothing more than a product of our mind. Instead of "being" the anger, we understand that we are not the anger, in the same way that clouds are not the sky.
So, to deal with anger, we avoid letting our mind jump again and again to the trigger for our anger. Then we look at anger itself and keep our attention upon it. If we stop adding wood to a fire and just watch, the fire will die out. Likewise, anger will vanish away, without being forcibly repressed or allowed to explode.
There is no question of not experiencing emotions; it's a question of not being enslaved by them. Let emotions arise, but let them be freed from their afflictive components: distortion of reality, mental confusion, clinging, and suffering for oneself and others.
There is great virtue in resting from time to time in pure awareness of the present moment, and being able to refer to this state when afflictive emotions arise so that we do not identify with them and are not swayed by them.
It is difficult in the beginning, but becomes quite natural as you become increasingly familiar with such an approach. Whenever anger arises, you learn to recognize it right away. If you know someone to be a pickpocket, even if he mingles in a crowd, you will spot him right away and keep a careful eye on him.
Interdependence
Just as you can learn to deal with afflictive thoughts, you can learn to cultivate and enhance wholesome ones. To be filled with love and kindness brings about an optimal way of being. It is a win-win situation: you will enjoy lasting well-being for yourself, you'll act in altruistic ways towards others, and you'll be perceived as a good human being.
If altruistic love is based on an understanding of the interdependence of all beings and of their natural aspiration to happiness, and if this love extends impartially to all beings, then it is a source of genuine happiness. Acts of overflowing love, of pure, disinterested generosity-as when you make a child happy or help someone in need, even if nobody knows what you have done-generate a deep and heartwarming fulfillment.
The Habits of Happiness
TED TALK: Listen to Matthieu Ricard answer the questions: What is Happiness, and How Can We All Get Some?
Human qualities often come in clusters. Altruism, inner peace, strength, freedom, and genuine happiness thrive together like the parts of a nourishing fruit. Likewise, selfishness, animosity, and fear grow together. So, while helping others may not always be "pleasant," it leads the mind to a sense of inner peace, courage, and harmony with the interdependence of all things and beings.
Afflictive mental states, on the other hand, begin with self-centeredness, with an increase in the gap between self and others. These states are related to excessive self-importance and self-cherishing associated with fear or resentment towards others, and grasping for outer things as part of a hopeless pursuit of selfish happiness. A selfish pursuit of happiness is a lose-lose situation: you make yourself miserable and make others miserable as well.
Inner conflicts are often linked with excessive rumination on the past and anticipation of the future. You are not truly paying attention to the present moment, but are engrossed in your thoughts, going on and on in a vicious circle, feeding your ego and self-centeredness.
This is the opposite of bare attention. To turn your attention inside means to look at pure awareness itself and dwell without distraction, yet effortlessly, in the present moment.
If you cultivate these mental skills, after a while you won't need to apply contrived efforts anymore. You can deal with mental perturbations like the eagles I see from the window of my hermitage in the Himalayas deal with crows. The crows often attack them, diving at the eagles from above. But, instead of doing all kinds of acrobatics, the eagle simply retracts one wing at the last moment, lets the diving crow pass, and then extends its wing again. The whole thing requires minimal effort and causes little disturbance.
Being experienced in dealing with the sudden arising of emotions in the mind works in a similar way.
I have been exposed to the world of humanitarian activities for a number of years since I decided to dedicate the entire royalties of my books to 30 projects on education and health in Tibet, Nepal, and India, with a group of dedicated volunteers and generous philanthropists. It is easy to see how corruption, clashes of ego, weak empathy, discouragement can plague the humanitarian world. All this stems from a lack of maturity. So the advantages of spending time to develop human altruism and compassionate courage are obvious.
The Fragrance of Peace
The most important time to meditate or do other types of spiritual practices is early in the morning. You set the tone for the day and the "fragrance" of the meditation will remain and give a particular perfume to the whole day. Another important time is before falling asleep. If you clearly generate a positive state of mind, filled with compassion or altruism, this will give a different quality to the whole night.
When people experience "moments of grace", or "magical moments" in daily life, while walking in the snow under the stars or spending a beautiful moment with dear friends by the seaside, what is really happening? All of a sudden, they have left their burden of inner conflicts behind. They feel in harmony with others, with themselves, with the world. It is wonderful to fully enjoy such magical moments, but it is also revealing to understand why they feel so good: pacification of inner conflicts; a better sense of interdependence with everything rather than fragmenting reality; and a respite from the mental toxins of aggression and obsession. All these qualities can be cultivated through developing wisdom and inner freedom. This will lead not just to a few moments of grace but to a lasting state of well-being that we may call genuine happiness.
In this state, feelings of insecurity gradually give way to a deep confidence that you can deal with life's ups and downs. Your equanimity will spare you from being swayed like mountain grass in the wind by every possible praise and blame, gain and loss, comfort and discomfort. You can always draw on deep inner peace, and the waves at the surface will not appear as threatening.
Matthieu Ricard wrote this article as part of Sustainable Happiness, the Winter 2009 issue of YES! Magazine. Matthieu has authored seven books, including Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. He lives at the Shechen monastery in Nepal, travels the world for Karuna-shechen (www.karuna-shechen.org) and does an annual solitary retreat in the Himalayas.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3046
Matthieu Ricard quit his career as a cellular geneticist nearly 40 years ago to study Buddhism. He is the French translator for the Dalai Lama.
What is happiness, and how can we achieve it?
Happiness can't be reduced to a few agreeable sensations. Rather, it is a way of being and of experiencing the world-a profound fulfillment that suffuses every moment and endures despite inevitable setbacks.
The paths we take in search of happiness often lead us to frustration and suffering instead. We try to create outer conditions that we believe will make us happy. But it is the mind itself that translates outer conditions into happiness or suffering. This is why we can be deeply unhappy even though we "have it all"-wealth, power, health, a good family, etc.-and, conversely, we can remain strong and serene in the face of hardship.
Authentic happiness is a way of being and a skill to be cultivated. When we first begin, the mind is vulnerable and untamed, like that of a monkey or a restless child. It takes practice to gain inner peace, inner strength, altruistic love, forbearance, and other qualities that lead to authentic happiness.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama often teaches that, while there are limitations to how much information one can learn and to our physical performance, compassion can be developed boundlessly.
Practicing Happiness
It is not difficult to begin. You just have to sit from time to time, turn your mind within, and let your thoughts calm down. Focus your attention on a chosen object. It can be an object in your room, your breath, or your own mind. Inevitably, your mind will wander as you do this. Each time it does, gently bring it back to the object of concentration, like a butterfly that returns again and again to a flower.
In the freshness of the present moment, past is gone, future is not yet born, and-if one remains in pure mindfulness and freedom-disturbing thoughts arise and go without leaving a trace. That is basic meditation.
Pure consciousness without content is something all those who meditate regularly and seriously have experienced-it is not just some sort of Buddhist theory. And anyone who takes the trouble to stabilize and clarify his or her mind will be able to experience it, too. It is through this unconditioned aspect of consciousness that we can transform the content of mind through training.
But meditation also means to cultivate basic human qualities, such as attention and compassion, and new ways of experiencing the world. What really matters is that a person gradually changes. Over months and years, we become less impatient, less prone to anger, less torn between hopes and fears. It becomes inconceivable to willingly harm another person. We develop a propensity toward altruistic behavior and the cluster of qualities that give us the resources to deal with the ups and downs of life.
The point here is that you can look at your thoughts, including strong emotions, with a pure mindfulness that is not associated with the contents of the thoughts.
Take the example of malevolent anger. We usually identify with anger. Anger can fill our mental landscape and project its distorted reality on people and events. When we are overwhelmed by anger, we cannot dissociate from it. We perpetuate a vicious circle of affliction by rekindling anger each time we see or remember the person who makes us angry. We become addicted to the cause of suffering.
But if we dissociate from anger and look at it with mindfulness, that which is aware of anger is not angry, and we can see that anger is just a bunch of thoughts. Anger doesn't cut like a knife, burn like a fire, or crush like a rock; it is nothing more than a product of our mind. Instead of "being" the anger, we understand that we are not the anger, in the same way that clouds are not the sky.
So, to deal with anger, we avoid letting our mind jump again and again to the trigger for our anger. Then we look at anger itself and keep our attention upon it. If we stop adding wood to a fire and just watch, the fire will die out. Likewise, anger will vanish away, without being forcibly repressed or allowed to explode.
There is no question of not experiencing emotions; it's a question of not being enslaved by them. Let emotions arise, but let them be freed from their afflictive components: distortion of reality, mental confusion, clinging, and suffering for oneself and others.
There is great virtue in resting from time to time in pure awareness of the present moment, and being able to refer to this state when afflictive emotions arise so that we do not identify with them and are not swayed by them.
It is difficult in the beginning, but becomes quite natural as you become increasingly familiar with such an approach. Whenever anger arises, you learn to recognize it right away. If you know someone to be a pickpocket, even if he mingles in a crowd, you will spot him right away and keep a careful eye on him.
Interdependence
Just as you can learn to deal with afflictive thoughts, you can learn to cultivate and enhance wholesome ones. To be filled with love and kindness brings about an optimal way of being. It is a win-win situation: you will enjoy lasting well-being for yourself, you'll act in altruistic ways towards others, and you'll be perceived as a good human being.
If altruistic love is based on an understanding of the interdependence of all beings and of their natural aspiration to happiness, and if this love extends impartially to all beings, then it is a source of genuine happiness. Acts of overflowing love, of pure, disinterested generosity-as when you make a child happy or help someone in need, even if nobody knows what you have done-generate a deep and heartwarming fulfillment.
The Habits of Happiness
TED TALK: Listen to Matthieu Ricard answer the questions: What is Happiness, and How Can We All Get Some?
Human qualities often come in clusters. Altruism, inner peace, strength, freedom, and genuine happiness thrive together like the parts of a nourishing fruit. Likewise, selfishness, animosity, and fear grow together. So, while helping others may not always be "pleasant," it leads the mind to a sense of inner peace, courage, and harmony with the interdependence of all things and beings.
Afflictive mental states, on the other hand, begin with self-centeredness, with an increase in the gap between self and others. These states are related to excessive self-importance and self-cherishing associated with fear or resentment towards others, and grasping for outer things as part of a hopeless pursuit of selfish happiness. A selfish pursuit of happiness is a lose-lose situation: you make yourself miserable and make others miserable as well.
Inner conflicts are often linked with excessive rumination on the past and anticipation of the future. You are not truly paying attention to the present moment, but are engrossed in your thoughts, going on and on in a vicious circle, feeding your ego and self-centeredness.
This is the opposite of bare attention. To turn your attention inside means to look at pure awareness itself and dwell without distraction, yet effortlessly, in the present moment.
If you cultivate these mental skills, after a while you won't need to apply contrived efforts anymore. You can deal with mental perturbations like the eagles I see from the window of my hermitage in the Himalayas deal with crows. The crows often attack them, diving at the eagles from above. But, instead of doing all kinds of acrobatics, the eagle simply retracts one wing at the last moment, lets the diving crow pass, and then extends its wing again. The whole thing requires minimal effort and causes little disturbance.
Being experienced in dealing with the sudden arising of emotions in the mind works in a similar way.
I have been exposed to the world of humanitarian activities for a number of years since I decided to dedicate the entire royalties of my books to 30 projects on education and health in Tibet, Nepal, and India, with a group of dedicated volunteers and generous philanthropists. It is easy to see how corruption, clashes of ego, weak empathy, discouragement can plague the humanitarian world. All this stems from a lack of maturity. So the advantages of spending time to develop human altruism and compassionate courage are obvious.
The Fragrance of Peace
The most important time to meditate or do other types of spiritual practices is early in the morning. You set the tone for the day and the "fragrance" of the meditation will remain and give a particular perfume to the whole day. Another important time is before falling asleep. If you clearly generate a positive state of mind, filled with compassion or altruism, this will give a different quality to the whole night.
When people experience "moments of grace", or "magical moments" in daily life, while walking in the snow under the stars or spending a beautiful moment with dear friends by the seaside, what is really happening? All of a sudden, they have left their burden of inner conflicts behind. They feel in harmony with others, with themselves, with the world. It is wonderful to fully enjoy such magical moments, but it is also revealing to understand why they feel so good: pacification of inner conflicts; a better sense of interdependence with everything rather than fragmenting reality; and a respite from the mental toxins of aggression and obsession. All these qualities can be cultivated through developing wisdom and inner freedom. This will lead not just to a few moments of grace but to a lasting state of well-being that we may call genuine happiness.
In this state, feelings of insecurity gradually give way to a deep confidence that you can deal with life's ups and downs. Your equanimity will spare you from being swayed like mountain grass in the wind by every possible praise and blame, gain and loss, comfort and discomfort. You can always draw on deep inner peace, and the waves at the surface will not appear as threatening.
Matthieu Ricard wrote this article as part of Sustainable Happiness, the Winter 2009 issue of YES! Magazine. Matthieu has authored seven books, including Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. He lives at the Shechen monastery in Nepal, travels the world for Karuna-shechen (www.karuna-shechen.org) and does an annual solitary retreat in the Himalayas.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
From Lynne Gilliland: 10 Things to Do to Increase Your Happiness
1. Friends: Spend time with your friends. Get friends if you are low on them.
2. Good health: Take action to stay as healthy as possible .
3. Socializing: Spend time being with people in a nonwork setting.
4. Experiential activities: Travel, exercise. Doing something new makes us happier (tango? scuba diving? cross country bike ride?)
5. Having a job we really like makes us happier than a big paycheck: Consider what is within your realm of responsibility to make your job one you really like. You can change your job, you can change your attitude, you can change how you work with people at your job.
6. Spend time in nature every day.
7. Express your gratitude and respect for the things you experience: Being thankful makes you happy.
8. Take time out: The ability to pause, mentally as well as physically, is important. Taking breaks is a prerequisite for happiness.
9. Accept that there will be unpleasant things in life: At some point every day, you will face hinderances. You'll be late, make a mistake, say something stupid, be less than perfect. This is part of life. Accept it and move on.
10. Open your eyes and look around you. There are more opportunities for happiness than you think. Embrace the moments. Enjoy them. Remember them.
Happiness is a practice. Get started.
-www.gillilandjud.com
2. Good health: Take action to stay as healthy as possible .
3. Socializing: Spend time being with people in a nonwork setting.
4. Experiential activities: Travel, exercise. Doing something new makes us happier (tango? scuba diving? cross country bike ride?)
5. Having a job we really like makes us happier than a big paycheck: Consider what is within your realm of responsibility to make your job one you really like. You can change your job, you can change your attitude, you can change how you work with people at your job.
6. Spend time in nature every day.
7. Express your gratitude and respect for the things you experience: Being thankful makes you happy.
8. Take time out: The ability to pause, mentally as well as physically, is important. Taking breaks is a prerequisite for happiness.
9. Accept that there will be unpleasant things in life: At some point every day, you will face hinderances. You'll be late, make a mistake, say something stupid, be less than perfect. This is part of life. Accept it and move on.
10. Open your eyes and look around you. There are more opportunities for happiness than you think. Embrace the moments. Enjoy them. Remember them.
Happiness is a practice. Get started.
-www.gillilandjud.com
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mohawk Thanksgiving Prayer
~*~ The People ~*~
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been
given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living
things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and
thanks to each other as People.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Earth Mother ~*~
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for
life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she
continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we
send greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one
***
~*~ The Waters ~*~
We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and
providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms--
waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send
greetings and thanks to the spirit Water.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Fish ~*~
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to
cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are
grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the fish and send our
greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Plants ~*~
Now we turn towards the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the
Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our
minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for
many generations to come.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Food Plants ~*~
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from
the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries
have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them
too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and
thanks.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Medicine Herbs ~*~
Now we turn to all the Medicine Herbs of the world. From the beginning, they
were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal
us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to
use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the
Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Animals ~*~
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life
in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We see them near our
homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it
will always be so.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Trees ~*~
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who
have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade,
other with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many peoples of the world use a
Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the
tree of life.
Now our minds are one
~*~ The Birds ~*~
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly
about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they
remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To
all the Birds-- from the smallest to the largest--we send our joyful greetings and
thanks.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Four Winds ~*~
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their
voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They
help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing
us messengers and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and
thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Thunders ~*~
Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With
lightening and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life.
We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our
Grandfathers, the Thunders.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Sun ~*~
We now send the greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day
without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day.
He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and
thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ Grandmother Moon ~*~
We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the
Moon, who lights the nighttime sky. She is the leader of women all over the world,
and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we
measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on
Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the
Moon.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Stars ~*~
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see
them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the
gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With
our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Enlightened Teachers ~*~
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come
to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind
us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send
greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Creator ~*~
We turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and
thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here
on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds
together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the
Creator.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ Closing Words ~*~
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we
have named, it was not our intent to leave anything out. If something was
forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their
own way.
Now our minds are one.
**************
CREDITS
English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton
(David Benedict, Turtle Clan/Mohawk)
Mohawk Version: Rokwaho
(Dan Thompson, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)
Original Inspiration: Tekaronianekon
(Jake Swamp, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)
Copyright © 1993 Six Nations Indian Museum and The Tracking Project.
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been
given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living
things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and
thanks to each other as People.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Earth Mother ~*~
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for
life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she
continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we
send greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one
***
~*~ The Waters ~*~
We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and
providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms--
waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send
greetings and thanks to the spirit Water.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Fish ~*~
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to
cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are
grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the fish and send our
greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Plants ~*~
Now we turn towards the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the
Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our
minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for
many generations to come.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Food Plants ~*~
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from
the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries
have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them
too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and
thanks.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Medicine Herbs ~*~
Now we turn to all the Medicine Herbs of the world. From the beginning, they
were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal
us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to
use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the
Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines
Now our minds are one.
~*~ The Animals ~*~
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life
in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We see them near our
homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it
will always be so.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Trees ~*~
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who
have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade,
other with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many peoples of the world use a
Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the
tree of life.
Now our minds are one
~*~ The Birds ~*~
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly
about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they
remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To
all the Birds-- from the smallest to the largest--we send our joyful greetings and
thanks.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Four Winds ~*~
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their
voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They
help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing
us messengers and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and
thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one
*****
~*~ The Thunders ~*~
Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With
lightening and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life.
We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our
Grandfathers, the Thunders.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Sun ~*~
We now send the greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day
without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day.
He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and
thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.
~*~ Grandmother Moon ~*~
We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the
Moon, who lights the nighttime sky. She is the leader of women all over the world,
and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we
measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on
Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the
Moon.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Stars ~*~
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see
them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the
gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With
our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Enlightened Teachers ~*~
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come
to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind
us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send
greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ The Creator ~*~
We turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and
thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here
on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds
together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the
Creator.
Now our minds are one.
*****
~*~ Closing Words ~*~
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we
have named, it was not our intent to leave anything out. If something was
forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their
own way.
Now our minds are one.
**************
CREDITS
English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton
(David Benedict, Turtle Clan/Mohawk)
Mohawk Version: Rokwaho
(Dan Thompson, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)
Original Inspiration: Tekaronianekon
(Jake Swamp, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)
Copyright © 1993 Six Nations Indian Museum and The Tracking Project.
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