by Brenda Ethridge

Created on: May 03, 2009

Native Talk

Do not talk of things you do not know-the sacred dance of five days, the dead asking for food, telling of the after death experience.

Do not talk of things you do not understand-the cyclical movement of life, circular, nonlinear; a change of worlds and forms; from birth, to death, to rebirth; deeply rooted, widespread convictions of reinvention of oneself.

Do not talk of things you cannot accept-when death did not exist, and humans did not die; when death first appeared and was born on that date and time; expression of burial ceremonies and future life.

Do not talk of things you will not condone-death appearing in third age and humanity beginning in fourth age, death an invention of creative deities to destroy those crude beings dwelling in third, when Deity invented death due to their imperfections, death the aversion and unfortunate interruption to continuous life, a debt to be paid to the Creator, for past wrongs.

Do not talk of things you condemn-human with many souls and many parts of consciousness; many kingdoms of life in multilevel universe, evolving in multiplane solar existence; the plurality of souls of animal, human and divine; souls of intellect, spirit, and the physical; a totality with pure spirit at center; man, made of everything.

Do not talk of things to which you do not listen- cosmic tree of branches, tree of life; generations through the root, into the branches, descending to Earth; repetitive cycles of learning, experience and growth; death, temporary departure to invisible peoples, only to return to unfinished business.

Do not talk of things on which you put priceceremonial costumes, architecture, and implements; the painted pots, bowls, and woven baskets with endless design, statements of thirteen heavens and nine underworlds.

Do not talk of things which you call legend-the Earth as floor, the sky as dome, over twelve levels, home to the Great Spirit, Creator, the underworld beneath the floor; seven universes, with successive worlds, with forty-nine stages in man's development on his road of life; seven worlds of being, seven paradises, seven planes above that of Earth's.

Do not talk about things you mock-the beautiful vision, the spiritual conception of death, the physical body's dissolution, the transition to wider consciousness, to new arenas of life; the enduring consciousness, the unity of life, the kindred relationship of all living beings, moving together through the great tree, the awe and reverence of sacred conceptions, the progressive evolution, the great mystery, the contemplation, ethical living, higher souls, spirit beings.

Do talk of awe and reverence of entities that are native to each of us, and undying as long as one of us lives, and reverence of this Earth, which each calls home; wherein disrespect, misunderstanding, and lack of tolerance bring death to this planet as well as its inhabitants.

Learn more about this author, Brenda Ethridge.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.