I live in the what
they consider to be the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the
top of a mountain. I walk in these woods here pretty much daily. The
majestic tree above me comforts me with it's shade on this sunny, warm
and somewhat sticky morning here in South Carolina. Earlier, as the sun
was rising, I went for my morning walk. I always love to breathe in
the soft, gentleness of the light as it peaks over the tree tops. I
enjoy the stillness of the world before it awakens fully, the freshness
of a new day as it is beginning and the inspiration it brings.
So mesmerized by the beauty of the day, I just could not be inside with my regular routine of coffee and facebook. Shantji is intensely involved in some FB group experiment to discover a political system that is truthful, conscious minded and effective. I must admit I am halfheartedly participating in this experiment. I want to support what he feels passionately about, but my heart seems to be outside here under this tree with the birds singing in my ear and the dogs howling in the distance as if calling my name. I am even entertained by the spider dangling down in front of me from an almost invisible silk thread. I feel intoxicated by the scents of Sweet Grass and Jasmine swirling around me.
When I turned on my computer this morning I saw all the political posts. The republicans and democrats were in the height of their war as the upcoming election grows closer. I could here Shantji on the phone with his group's mock president enthusiastically (and quite loudly) discussing their new world order with all the political strategies that go along with that sort of thing. Remembering the peace and stillness of my morning walk, a whiff of Jasmine blew through my window and a morning dove cooed and, as if Nature herself entered my body, I found myself outside under my tree.
I believe in past lives. I don't have any real, tangible evidence that we reincarnate, but something inside me is convinced we do. Throughout this particular earthly incarnation I am experiencing, whenever I seem to get "lost" in the beauty of nature, whenever I recognize the awesomeness of all that surrounds me, memories surface of a life long ago. It's not like a regular memory. It more like a memory of a certain awareness rather any particular experience. It is, however, multi-sensual. Then vague remembrances surface out of that. It's always similar. It's as if my awe and gratefulness of the beauty that surrounds brings me to an awareness of my intertwinement with all that IS.
I feel as if in my genetic encoding is a nomadic, mystic... a nature spirit that is not part of this "grid." Somehow nature seems beyond this grid. In the grid to me means the systems and structures of man... the laws, the rules, the politics... in short... the structure itself. I realize that without structure and order the world cannot function. Nature is a perfect design of structure and order. I've always known that whatever I truly need to know, I can learn from watching nature. Our present structure in the world is far from being a design mimicking the Divine Order of Nature. The present system of order running the world comes from the linear thinking minds of man. I will also add to that the power hungry, greedy, perverted minds of man.
In my walks in these woods, my internal radar picks up memories perhaps from lives before. I have always felt I have lived many lives in a tribal way. I think perhaps even on this mountain or the coast line of Northern Florida or even perhaps along the Ganges in India. The awareness becomes so strong that I feel as if something else takes over my body. I am never afraid of this experience, as it is more freeing than unsettling. I feel intense sadness for the way the Native Americans in this country were cheated of their land and their way of life stolen from them. When I think of all these politics today, I wonder how a Native Chief was chosen? Somehow I believe he was chosen by his people to lead them, not through a political system, but through the honor and respect of his tribe. I would imagine a Native Chief earned this respect by living an honorable life. I would imagine the tribe knew him to be truthful, courageous and kind. I don't imagine they were looking for a polished up version that could inspire them with beautiful words and ideological promises. I don't imagine a sophisticated intellect weighed in high on their list. I imagine they were more concerned with his ability to strategically plan for food during the seasons, how to keep their families safe and how to live peacefully with each other.
My answer to all these political delimas, is to go off the grid for awhile. Turn off your phone and your computer and head to woods, the mountains, the ocean or the dessert and watch Nature for awhile. Observe how animals work things out and how Nature takes care of itself. Dig in the dirt, jump in the creek or climb a tree and then go back to your politics, your system, your structure, your phone and your computer. They will all still be there just buzzing away like a projector left running with no one watching. Life is not known through the systems of man. Life is through the systems of God. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Our answers should come without effort and strife. They should dawn on us like the soft, gentleness of the light peaking over the tree tops and come to a full crescendo as they blossom into fruition. I think it's all much more simple than the complexity our minds create. It's the classic example of not being able to "see the forest for the trees."
So mesmerized by the beauty of the day, I just could not be inside with my regular routine of coffee and facebook. Shantji is intensely involved in some FB group experiment to discover a political system that is truthful, conscious minded and effective. I must admit I am halfheartedly participating in this experiment. I want to support what he feels passionately about, but my heart seems to be outside here under this tree with the birds singing in my ear and the dogs howling in the distance as if calling my name. I am even entertained by the spider dangling down in front of me from an almost invisible silk thread. I feel intoxicated by the scents of Sweet Grass and Jasmine swirling around me.
When I turned on my computer this morning I saw all the political posts. The republicans and democrats were in the height of their war as the upcoming election grows closer. I could here Shantji on the phone with his group's mock president enthusiastically (and quite loudly) discussing their new world order with all the political strategies that go along with that sort of thing. Remembering the peace and stillness of my morning walk, a whiff of Jasmine blew through my window and a morning dove cooed and, as if Nature herself entered my body, I found myself outside under my tree.
I believe in past lives. I don't have any real, tangible evidence that we reincarnate, but something inside me is convinced we do. Throughout this particular earthly incarnation I am experiencing, whenever I seem to get "lost" in the beauty of nature, whenever I recognize the awesomeness of all that surrounds me, memories surface of a life long ago. It's not like a regular memory. It more like a memory of a certain awareness rather any particular experience. It is, however, multi-sensual. Then vague remembrances surface out of that. It's always similar. It's as if my awe and gratefulness of the beauty that surrounds brings me to an awareness of my intertwinement with all that IS.
I feel as if in my genetic encoding is a nomadic, mystic... a nature spirit that is not part of this "grid." Somehow nature seems beyond this grid. In the grid to me means the systems and structures of man... the laws, the rules, the politics... in short... the structure itself. I realize that without structure and order the world cannot function. Nature is a perfect design of structure and order. I've always known that whatever I truly need to know, I can learn from watching nature. Our present structure in the world is far from being a design mimicking the Divine Order of Nature. The present system of order running the world comes from the linear thinking minds of man. I will also add to that the power hungry, greedy, perverted minds of man.
In my walks in these woods, my internal radar picks up memories perhaps from lives before. I have always felt I have lived many lives in a tribal way. I think perhaps even on this mountain or the coast line of Northern Florida or even perhaps along the Ganges in India. The awareness becomes so strong that I feel as if something else takes over my body. I am never afraid of this experience, as it is more freeing than unsettling. I feel intense sadness for the way the Native Americans in this country were cheated of their land and their way of life stolen from them. When I think of all these politics today, I wonder how a Native Chief was chosen? Somehow I believe he was chosen by his people to lead them, not through a political system, but through the honor and respect of his tribe. I would imagine a Native Chief earned this respect by living an honorable life. I would imagine the tribe knew him to be truthful, courageous and kind. I don't imagine they were looking for a polished up version that could inspire them with beautiful words and ideological promises. I don't imagine a sophisticated intellect weighed in high on their list. I imagine they were more concerned with his ability to strategically plan for food during the seasons, how to keep their families safe and how to live peacefully with each other.
My answer to all these political delimas, is to go off the grid for awhile. Turn off your phone and your computer and head to woods, the mountains, the ocean or the dessert and watch Nature for awhile. Observe how animals work things out and how Nature takes care of itself. Dig in the dirt, jump in the creek or climb a tree and then go back to your politics, your system, your structure, your phone and your computer. They will all still be there just buzzing away like a projector left running with no one watching. Life is not known through the systems of man. Life is through the systems of God. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Our answers should come without effort and strife. They should dawn on us like the soft, gentleness of the light peaking over the tree tops and come to a full crescendo as they blossom into fruition. I think it's all much more simple than the complexity our minds create. It's the classic example of not being able to "see the forest for the trees."
