Monday, October 02, 2006
Native prayers
I was googling Native American prayers, primarily because I was curious to see whether tribal prayers were still available to us today and subsequently, what they may have been about. I came across the following and felt like sharing:
As I walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with Beauty.
According to this site, the above is a traditional, Navajo prayer. The prayer, which looks very much like a poem, is an ode to the presence of beauty in all Earthly things. The connections to ancient philosophies like Buddhism and Taoism are obvious and encouraging. The beauty that seems to be evaporating from our species is still in evidence all around us. The weather has me musing on nature's beauty lately. :)
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy
Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
Again, the theme of beauty in nature, but this time paired with the seemingly universal concept of the self as one's greatest adversary. If you read enough philosophy, you find this theme running through nearly all cultures on all continents. It would seem that this is one of humanity's integral truths...no matter where, no matter when, we have all struggled with ourselves. I read these things and I realize that there is no shame in struggling, so long as the stuggle does not blind us to the beauty available in our waking moments.
On a slightly unrelated note, my buddy Mark and his lovely lady Jen flew off to Barbados and got married September 23, 2006. Neither of them is likely to read this, but congratulations kids! :)
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Those were beautiful. Why haven't you posted lately? I didn't realize just how much I miss your blogs until I'm on here before work with my light soy milk Carnation Instant Breakfast and nothing entertaining to read. So I end up searching for random crap on youtube instead.
See my latest post. I have just been out of my mind busy and things are only going to get more hectic. I'll try to post more regularly...don't want to alienate my fanbase. lol