tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post343904830473030178..comments2024-03-11T05:03:14.020-07:00Comments on Ernie's Place: Seekers of American Indian Spirituality.Ernie Branscombhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06391160783604462511noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-61284724541689128372010-10-20T23:58:58.549-07:002010-10-20T23:58:58.549-07:00they always say, when the time is right someone wi...they always say, when the time is right someone will show up. i have been lucky enough in recent years to have met several people whom many other people regard as teachers. i sort of look at them as elders and i show them the same respect i show more normal elders who are teachers in their own right. but i'm getting pretty old myself but i'm not really interested in being a teacher. i'm more interested in learning how to be retired. so i'm not into classes or sweat lodges or vision quests or anything that is too taxing for someone my age. i have a thing for esther hicks and i listen to her when she says it's not about what is, its about what you want. i'm tired of chasing what is. i guess i'm into creating what i want. it's sort of like accepting yourself where you are right now and flowing downstream from there. deciding to feel good or what the aborigine and northern california indian did. dream your world into being.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-48149642930978997352010-10-20T23:58:39.246-07:002010-10-20T23:58:39.246-07:00they always say, when the time is right someone wi...they always say, when the time is right someone will show up. i have been lucky enough in recent years to have met several people whom many other people regard as teachers. i sort of look at them as elders and i show them the same respect i show more normal elders who are teachers in their own right. but i'm getting pretty old myself but i'm not really interested in being a teacher. i'm more interested in learning how to be retired. so i'm not into classes or sweat lodges or vision quests or anything that is too taxing for someone my age. i have a thing for esther hicks and i listen to her when she says it's not about what is, its about what you want. i'm tired of chasing what is. i guess i'm into creating what i want. it's sort of like accepting yourself where you are right now and flowing downstream from there. deciding to feel good or what the aborigine and northern california indian did. dream your world into being.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-32916420223767980422010-10-19T23:31:42.189-07:002010-10-19T23:31:42.189-07:00Hey SpyRock, Thanks for your reply. Well said. And...Hey SpyRock, Thanks for your reply. Well said. And I would go to Java but i believe a recent volcano eruption has affect Java and other places to have mass evacuations. I feel right now is a bad time to travel anywhere.<br />But i do not think the "age of the guru" is over, There are several enlightened masters all over. And There is always the Other Side.<br />Enlightenment can come fast when contacting the right entity.<br />It's too bad that there are so many Red Herrings placed by design to lour us away from the truth. For example, Alister Crowley, All his books about Goetic "demons" are false. And put bad information on some of the most loving and helpful beings to ever be on earth. I kind of gave up my search of a physical enlightened master. And i spend most of my time writing about the two entitys i have contact with.Tom Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-40689814542202261982010-10-19T22:40:23.324-07:002010-10-19T22:40:23.324-07:00Oregon, I don't think you'll have much luc...Oregon, I don't think you'll have much luck getting someone who's chasing after spiritual enlightenment to come and sweat over your woodpile. You'd need to wear a white robe and burn incense, grow your beard long etc. then maybe they'd fall for it, maybe. But if you do that, some of those young spiritually minded gurls are mighty hot, watch out, they know how to build a fire and give you wood too! --LOL. <br />i think there's a book out called zen and the art of chopping wood. so oregon is a zen master eh. well, i don't mind spliting wood and have done quite a bit of it myself. and the youngin's these days. give them one beer or one shot or one toke and they are done for the day. i'm sort of backwards to susie's vision. i start out working and when i start gettin tired and thirsty then i start having beers and keep on having beers until the job is done.<br />but the part about the girls is true. those spiritual girls are mighty hot and they know right where to rub those sore muscles you got chopping wood.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-90889385811471927442010-10-08T06:48:07.951-07:002010-10-08T06:48:07.951-07:00When I see someone talking Progressive I run the o...When I see someone talking Progressive I run the other way as fast as I can.<br />I was thinking it would be fun to split wood and pull a cork with company but it looks like I will be the only one splitting wood around here. Besides I like splitting wood and was just trying to share some of the fun.<br /><br />OregonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-48771145541575866332010-10-07T20:38:05.941-07:002010-10-07T20:38:05.941-07:00Oh, yeah, Oregon. Do that.Oh, yeah, Oregon. Do that.Robin Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15282504761189889311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-2351469686758395502010-10-07T13:52:17.389-07:002010-10-07T13:52:17.389-07:00suffering, oneness, responsibility<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhFrZ4-nxa4&NR=1&feature=fvwp" rel="nofollow">suffering, oneness, responsibility</a>\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-45319350300125277572010-10-07T13:31:34.908-07:002010-10-07T13:31:34.908-07:00Oregon, I don't think you'll have much luc...Oregon, I don't think you'll have much luck getting someone who's chasing after spiritual enlightenment to come and sweat over your woodpile. You'd need to wear a white robe and burn incense, grow your beard long etc. then maybe they'd fall for it, maybe. But if you do that, some of those young spiritually minded gurls are mighty hot, watch out, they know how to build a fire and give you <i>wood</i> too! --LOL. But, all kidding aside, here's a more realistic plan for you: there must be some young unemployed dudes around where you are, just go out and about some morning and look in the cafe's or on the street corners, they're everywhere. Even if they seem kinda weird with their dreadlocks or whatever, talk to them a little, you'll see they're pretty much just like you were at that age underneath, they relate to some of the same basic things of life like anyone else does. Then after bullshitting a little and gaining their respect, invite them over for a shot of Turkey. Believe me, they won't pass that up, they'll think you're awesome. Then, at your place, as they warm up to the cozy feeling, they'll want another shot, but you tell em, "Sure, right after you chop some wood just come on back inside and we'll build up the fire and pour some more out". And as the day progresses, they will want more and more Turkey and your wood pile will grow. ;)<br /><br /><i>If I was to seek anything in spirituality I would try to figure out why those two things seem to be connected to me more than others</i><br /><br />right on.\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-27252832170863699752010-10-07T13:10:53.745-07:002010-10-07T13:10:53.745-07:00“One needs to learn to appreciate life, to respect...<i>“One needs to learn to appreciate life, to respect life, to celebrate life!”</i><br /><br />Thanks Suzy, if any sentence ever written here describes me, that’s it. <br /><br />I’ve never understood why religious people all seem to have the need to suffer. The Christians say that it is to remind themselves of the suffering that Christ went through for them. The Tibetan Budists crawl around the Jokhang Temple in Tibet. I don’t know the reason, but they will crawl a step, lay prostrate, crawl another step lay prostrate, and so on. The extra religious crawl all the way around the mountain. Other religions seem to have the need to control people and make them suffer. If you’re not suffering you are just NOT religious.<br /><br />As I said, I find my spirituality in the connectedness between Man and nature. Notice the capital “M” designating Man the species, which includes the better half of the species, female, and not man the brute. I do that to save time, then I explain it. Dumb, huh?<br /><br />I live life as a celebration, life is to be enjoyed. When you die, I believe that it truly is “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” and it’s over. If there is a human spirit that lives on, it’s in the memory of the friends that you leave behind. Make as many friends as you can, and hold them closely. Treat them as you yourself would want to be treated. That means that you have to be fair at all times. I don’t have the easy way out of praying for forgiveness.<br /><br />I am no expert in Indian beliefs or religion, but I’ve been told that my beliefs correspond very closely to the way that the original American Indian believed before becoming corrupted with the “white man religion”. I feel the connectedness that the Indian felt with the things around them. They believed that the spirits of man and nature could change places, and “shape shift”. I don’t believe that happens, but I sincerely believe that man and nature are connected. What hurts one, hurts the other. <br /><br />I like reading about the old Indian legends where they explain how each and every thing came about, and how man and nature are connected. Our very own American Indian student, Ben, interpreted the old Indian legend explaining were the flint in Salmon Creek came from, and why there is a red stripe in abalone shells. Like I say, life is to be enjoyed, lived fairly, and honestly, and friends are to be valued. Nature is to be honored. The Indians took care of nature, and they used methods that we, today, have ignored. We are killing the Redwood forest by loving them to death. The Indians burned them clean. There is a deep lesson for everybody to learn the truth about redwood trees, my totem tree. By the way, my totem bird is the Raven. I feel very strongly connected to those two things in nature. If I was to seek anything in spirituality I would try to figure out why those two things seem to be connected to me more than others.<br /><br />Okay, your turn.Ernie Branscombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06391160783604462511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-72476866375624200562010-10-07T12:09:17.355-07:002010-10-07T12:09:17.355-07:00I agree Suzy, but what about my wood pile?
Oregon...I agree Suzy, but what about my wood pile?<br /><br />OregonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-72021395981187713952010-10-07T11:39:19.481-07:002010-10-07T11:39:19.481-07:00the day of the guru is over
We find ourselves her...<i>the day of the guru is over</i><br /><br />We find ourselves here in our day to day life very much involved in this grossly materialistic culture. Sometimes we feel a yearning for something more spiritual, something meaningful on a deeper level. Sometimes we say, this place I am at is just terrible and the people are so awful, so I'm going to just get rid of everything. Sure, you can do that. Then you get more and more isolated. You feel that you don't fit in, etc. So you say, I am going to go to Tibet, or Java, or wherever, to seek enlightenment ... but, that is missing the point. We are where we are to face the challenges of here and now. You are here to learn the lessons of life HERE --of love and hate, of happiness and sadness, of success and failure, etc.<br /><br />But some folks say they want to be spiritually enlightened, which is all very nice except that you are afraid to die. We fight for life but <i>Spirit is death</i>. When you die you go to Spirit. And, dare I say it, the aged traditional rituals can take you to spirit too. In ceremony one dies, or that is to say, "who you think you are" dies, ie your ego dies. It's called the <i>little death</i>, the ego defers and you go to Spirit. Spirit is formless. There is no "us and them". One experiences a transcendence of us and them, a transcendence of enlightenment and unenlightenment. Or as Spy says, you can see the golden aura surrounding everyone. <br /><br /><i>I don't believe in any sentient God that watches over everything, but deeply feel the connectedness between Man and nature.</i><br /><br />I relate to this. One doesn't have to <i>believe</i> in life. Life is right HERE. One needs to learn to appreciate life, to respect life. To celebrate life!\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-13174967183093637212010-10-07T09:23:06.364-07:002010-10-07T09:23:06.364-07:00Thanks Spy
Well said. I like that you gave options...Thanks Spy<br />Well said. I like that you gave options in the path that Tom asked for.<br /><br />Like you, I feel that the path to spirituality is within us. I don't believe in any sentient God that watches over everything, but deeply feel the connectedness between Man and nature. That’s where I find my spirituality.Ernie Branscombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06391160783604462511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-65511680011617878262010-10-06T22:56:00.102-07:002010-10-06T22:56:00.102-07:00its very interesting that you mention tibet which ...its very interesting that you mention tibet which is occupied by the chinese at the present moment. its also interesting that you don't see native americans as spiritual. actually, there was some debate between the early spanish explorers and the pope as to whether the indians were human or animal and whether or not they had a soul at all. so you are certainly not the first european to not be impressed by native americans. not to mention the genocide financed by the state of california and the federal government that totally eradicated some tribes. <br />but all paths lead to enlightenment. the day of the guru is over. but if you feel drawn to the buddist tradition, i would recommend you read siddartha by herman heese and any of the lobsang rampa books about tibet if you can find them. you should also go to java and see that city that was covered up by volcanic ash for centuries and is one huge mandalla. eat pray love seems to have gotten to a few people out there. also, its not the man with the golden aura who is enlightened. its the one who can see the golden aura in everyone and everything, even native americans.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-62086766320525483992010-10-05T11:47:05.069-07:002010-10-05T11:47:05.069-07:00Thanks for all the information guys.
But i'm l...Thanks for all the information guys.<br />But i'm looking for information on a spiritually enlightened group from which i can learn from. But i'm afraid most people don't know what it means to be spiritually enlightened.<br />I feel that the only place i can go for what i'm looking for is Tibet. Or Java in Indonesia. I don't feel the native Americans are at all spiritual anymore. They may try to be spiritual but theres a difference in what i'm looking for.<br />It's very hard to explain in a language designed for physical things. sorry.Tom Hadleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-59357346528649276382010-10-04T22:17:41.090-07:002010-10-04T22:17:41.090-07:00Kind of like OMaR, I was tempted to be flip with S...Kind of like OMaR, I was tempted to be flip with Suzy's questions & just say no. But then I thought (believe it or not!) that her questions were food for thought & not meant to be answered at all - at least, not here. Since I'm not one for much navel-contemplating anymore I guess I'll have to help Oregon split that wood instead.Robin Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15282504761189889311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-81275038814591544652010-10-04T21:29:17.108-07:002010-10-04T21:29:17.108-07:00Love you omr.
ox,
sLove you omr.<br /><br />ox,<br />s\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-10674387527751271792010-10-04T21:28:03.414-07:002010-10-04T21:28:03.414-07:00maybe susie blah blah is a medicine woman. susie a...<i>maybe susie blah blah is a medicine woman. susie archeleta died a couple of years ago so maybe susie blah blah took her spot.</i><br /><br />LOL! No way Spy. But thank you. <br /><br /><i>... they took me back home where i saw gordie howe and the montreal canadians with a canadian named dick alverson playing with them who turned out to be the absent father of my future british wife of 25 years. dick was there during world war 2 and met my ex mother in law who was an ice skater. so it did turn out to be a vision quest after all.</i><br /><br />I guess something like that could be meaningless or very meaningful, depending on how you feel about it. There was obviously some real suffering. It is very difficult for children sometimes, we don't always realize the extent. We are deeper beings than we imagine we are. I think it's a totally <a href="http://www.pinehursttroop7.com/OA_Passing_the_Legend.jpg" rel="nofollow">awesome vision.</a>\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-8380957921165992712010-10-04T21:08:14.892-07:002010-10-04T21:08:14.892-07:00If anybody wants to sweat and maybe have a religio...If anybody wants to sweat and maybe have a religious experience come on up, I have 10 truck loads of wood that needs to be split. <br /><br />OregonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-72613498440297347412010-10-04T20:24:53.842-07:002010-10-04T20:24:53.842-07:00i'm with you about the punishment stuff ernie....i'm with you about the punishment stuff ernie. being the school principals kid used to just mean that she would practice on me real good before she would whup on the kids at school. just to make sure she got it right. i had to explain some welts she gave me to the school nurse. i think i told her that i fell in the bryer patch. you know brer rabbit. i've never done a sweat lodge although i know quite a few people who know how to do them and one who has them every full moon. i like the sweat lodge at the best western cause it's right next to the pool. i sort of rotate from the pool to the spa to the sauna or steam bath. i have done a sun dance but just the baby kind. no flesh tearing. i think it's the sun dance for seniors because you get lots of breaks and you can play the drum or sit and support instead of dance all the time. but i did focus on the task at hand.<br />as far as a vision quest goes. i went on one in the boy scouts as punishment for not being able to put my tent up in the frozen snow. they told me to keep on walking down this dark road in the forest until they told me to come back.<br /> i got sick walking in the cold and snow and they took me back home where i saw gordie howe and the montreal canadians with a canadian named dick alverson playing with them who turned out to be the absent father of my future british wife of 25 years. dick was there during world war 2 and met my ex mother in law who was an ice skater. so it did turn out to be a vision quest after all.<br />i think what you are talking about is more of an initiation or a guantlet run that they willing to show white people. the 49ers thought up the same thing and called it the clampers. you get intiated once and then once a year they all get drunk and initiate the newcomers every year after that. that sounds right up your alley.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-28815547888820571382010-10-04T19:59:46.344-07:002010-10-04T19:59:46.344-07:00Double apology fer interfering where you were goin...Double apology fer interfering where you were going with that Suzy.onoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-29741061162177023062010-10-04T19:40:34.596-07:002010-10-04T19:40:34.596-07:00suzy blah blah does sort of remind me of susie arc...suzy blah blah does sort of remind me of susie archeleta. i mean this 97 year old woman played that drum hard and sang that song loud and we were dancing to it moving in a circle and she didn't want to stop. she was loving it.<br />as far as those questions go, yes, they are very similiar to some questions dove is thinking about right now for a medicine class. she calls it her homework. but i can't tell you what the questions are, but they are very similiar to suzy's maybe susie blah blah is a medicine woman. susie archeleta died a couple of years ago so maybe susie blah blah took her spot.spyrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03685726716755909658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-37809642740967129352010-10-04T19:37:09.871-07:002010-10-04T19:37:09.871-07:00Then I apologize for not staying serious.Then I apologize for not staying serious.olmanrivernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-32168288518853277442010-10-04T19:09:28.130-07:002010-10-04T19:09:28.130-07:00Sorry, The questions are not meant as a joke, even...Sorry, The questions are not meant as a joke, even though your flip attitude and deprecatory reply seem to want to reduce them to such.\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-35142717147006917792010-10-04T18:00:53.585-07:002010-10-04T18:00:53.585-07:00Another quiz...cewl, those fifteen question ones a...Another quiz...cewl, those fifteen question ones are tooo long.<br />A) yes<br />B) it is it<br />C) yes<br /><br />How did I do? I think I got 2 our of 3, had to guess on the second one.<br /><br />AnonariverAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-924013241079711992.post-44441950526763219102010-10-04T15:11:40.574-07:002010-10-04T15:11:40.574-07:00Nice post Ernie.
To your corespondents:
does your...Nice post Ernie.<br /><br />To your corespondents:<br />does your life have a purpose?<br />what is it?<br />does it have meaning?\https://www.blogger.com/profile/01423262259410754388noreply@blogger.com