atreesvoice

The other day I read Chief Seattle’s letter to the president from 1852. The whole letter can be read here. 165 years ago wasn’t that long ago for how much has changed. This letter has been quoted often in short bits; the full-length version is amazingly touching and poignant. The following paragraph really caught my heart’s attention…

“Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted by talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is it to say goodbye to the swift pony and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.”

That last sentence especially intrigues me; “the end of living and the beginning of survival.” For the modern human, this may seem preposterous. Aren’t we thriving with our conveniences? Weren’t the primitive Indians focused only on surviving? Yet, what if the opposite is true? Would this explain why so many people are afflicted with depression, lack of satisfaction or addiction today?

After that last big snowstorm, I did a live Facebook video while trudging through the snow (I do this outdoors every Thursday to flood Facebook with nature. If you want to come along find me there). My friend, Virginia, asked “no snowshoes?” It’s true that I was not wearing any and my feet sunk deep with each step. I have snowshoes—thought I needed them back in Vail, Co where I lived through my 20s, as everyone there did. I also really liked gear at that time. Today I’d prefer having my feet unencumbered of metal shoes. Boil down the why of that and its my preference for direct experiences. For instance, I want to be with horses, not watch them on a screen or literally be and touch a lion, not see them through bars. In this scenario, it means I want to have my feet directly on the ground not with a snowshoe in between.

This is also true in my spiritual practices. I like them simple and direct. To muddle them with techniques feels less sincere for me. I say, “To complicate is human, to simplify is spirit.” This is not true for others, which is what makes the human species interesting—our differences. Plato said, “As youth fades and time brings changes we may change many of our present opinions. So let us refrain from setting ourselves up as judge of the highest matter.” Whatever creates a feeling of love, life, peace, or connection is our best spiritual practice. Whether that’s sitting in the woods alone, or chanting with a thousand people. We are in the time that Chief Seattle spoke of; let us stay true to what fills us with life, as a swift pony and the hunt did for him. The key is to be genuine to our inner impulse, for it is that self-organizing life force. No one else can dictate what this will be for us as individuals. Nor will we know what it is by simply thinking our way to it—it takes action and discernment. Think of it as an adventure in harmony between our distinct Soul and the collective of life.

Trust and enjoy, Katrina