Changing the world is endless, it never stops. Recently I read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. My best friend gave me this book for christmas because she thought that I needed it. To be honest the book did not really tell me anything I don't already know. What it did do was remind me how lazy I had gotten in terms of taking care of my own spirituality. I used to meditate regularly and tune in to the universe every day, connect with country and recharge, but I find that the life of an academic is time consuming and I do not always have time to take care of myself physically or spiritually. (of course this is changing now that I have identified it)
It is interesting that this woman felt that she had to leave her old life and go to foreign countries to find her spirituality. After reading this book I am so glad that I am Indigenous. I mean I do not feel the urge to go to another country and learn the spirituality of another culture and derive the parts that appeal to me and go home and practice my new found spirituality whilst being disconnected from my own environment. It still baffles me the way in which westerners do this. Time and time again I run into non-Indigenous people who are lost spiritually and are searching for 'something' but they do not know what it is they are looking for. It is at this point that I would like to say that I believe these people are lost because they are looking in the wrong place.
Christians say that God is in everything and is everywhere. Indigenous Australians believe that we are all one, that nature and human beings are one, that we are nature therefore we are connected physically, emotionally and spiritually. This means we must take care of country because then country takes care of us and holistically it means we are actually taking care of ourselves. So when Christians say that God is everywhere and you connect this message with the holistic spirituality of Indigenous Australians than it makes sense to conclude that finding God or finding yourself comes from within. Within includes your own environment. It includes nature. It includes everything that exists within your life and it includes within your own mind, body and soul.
But sometimes like me we get too busy or pre-occupied with external influences and we forget to take care of ourselves. Yes we go to the gym, we change our diets, we exercise our brains and we nurture our bodies. We do not nurture our souls? When do we take time to acknowledge and listen to what is within? For it is this inner experience and knowledge that guides us on our journey of life. It is the wisdom of intuition, of faith, of love, of compassion. And sometimes when it rises and we are too busy to listen, or we do not like what we are hearing or feeling we squash it and bury it behind the filing system in our brain, the rationale. It is from within that we are required to nurture and provide sustenance for our spiritual health. For when we nurture from within then and only then do we connect with our spirituality.
Now having said this does not mean we go around talking to ourselves (although I have been know to do this...lol) what it does mean is that when we tune into the universe and we listen intently to that which is within we begin to have an understanding of our own spirituality. We begin to see beyond the ephemeral. We begin to experience what it means to be spiritual. It is not something that I feel I can describe adequately. My only suggestion is that you begin to move into this unchartered world of your own destiny. And yes it can be frightening, but if you explore what is within you just may find that your journey will be one worth the energy of finding your self.
Spirituality is a journey of self discovery and this means that if you have to go to a foreign country then I guess that is what you must do, but what happens when you return to your own environment that you are so disconnected from? Do you maintain the power of your newfound spirituality on the home front?
As I said earlier I am so glad that I am Indigenous for I know who I am and where I come from. I know where I belong and I have total faith in my spirituality because some things should not be questioned, and cannot be explained, some things just are.
Live a little, I dare you to explore what is within and feel the power of life.
Life is good.
I agree with you FT. I feel spirit in this country, I always have. I love this country. I think many Westerners in countries like Australia and America have to go looking elsewhere because there is this huge feeling of cultural displacement, which is kind of real for non-Indigenous folk. But like you, I think that nature, God is everywhere and that everyone has access to it. My Mum is Dutch. She loves Bali. She would live there if she could - it is her spiritual home. She is awlays hassling me to go there. She doesn't really get Australia. But I always frustrate her because I say: Mum, I don't feel the need to go anywahere, this is my home. She doesn't get it at all.
ReplyDeleteKnow what you mean I love noongar boodja. Only place to live.
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