297 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
297 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
Spiritual Benefactors
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World Scripture
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SPIRITUAL BENEFACTORS
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The world's religions testify to the existence of a host of spiritual beings,
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occupying the various realms in the spiritual world. The good and beneficent
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spiritual beings are for Christians the angels and departed saints, for
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Mahayana Buddhists the great Bodhisattvas, and for Shintoists the Kami. Indian
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religions speak of devas and devis, the Thirty-three, gandharvas or celestial
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musicians, and diverse other classes of spiritual beings. Chinese religion has
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among its ranks of gods the Yellow Emperor, the Jade Emperor, Lord Scripture
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Glory (Wen Chang), and countless personal spirits such as the spirit of the
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hearth. In Native American religions the spiritual benefactors are forces
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active in the natural world: viz., the Thunders, Mother Corn, sacred Stones,
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the Winds, Eagle, Sun, and Moon.
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In the monotheistic religions, and in religions with an impersonal and utterly
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transcendent conception of Absolute Reality, these spiritual benefactors, no
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matter how exalted, are regarded as subordinate to Ultimate Reality. Yet since
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the Ultimate Reality is often inaccessible to humans, the higher spiritual
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beings are frequently revered as intermediaries. Gabriel, an angel, is the
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intermediary of divine revelation in Islam and the Latter-day Saints. For
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Buddhists, Bodhisattvas personify aspects of Ultimate Reality in ways that can
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be more easily apprehended by human beings who are too dull to grasp the
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perfect wisdom of Emptiness. In the primal religions, in Shinto, and in Taoism
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the spirits of nature, the heavenly beings, and the most prominent ancestors
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constitute the fellowship of spiritual beings that together cause the movements
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of heaven and earth.
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These spiritual beings have power. In many traditions the gods, goddesses, and
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benevolent spirits of nature dispense blessings to the human world and keep
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their devotees from harm. Therefore, it is requisite in many traditions that
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they be worshipped and supplied with offerings. We also include traditions
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about making offerings for ancestors and relatives who have passed on. These
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offerings ease their way into the next world and give them additional spiritual
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merit.
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O gods! All your names are to be revered, saluted and adored; all of you who
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have sprung from heaven and earth, listen here to my invocation.
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1. Hinduism. Rig Veda 10.63.2
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I [the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra] relieve the distress of the beings of all
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evil realms, and equally bestow happiness on them. I continue to do so through
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the lapse of boundless kalpas, and in the extent of the ten quarters of the
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universe. The benefits of all are eternal, and omnipresent.
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2. Buddhism. Gandavyuha Sutra
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The Lord Scripture Glory says, "For seventeen generations I have been
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incarnated as a high mandarin, and I have never oppressed my people nor
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maltreated my subordinates. I have helped them in misfortune; I have rescued
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them from poverty; I have taken compassion on their orphans; I have forgiven
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their transgressions; I have extensively practiced secret virtue which is
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attuned to Heaven above. If you are able to keep your hearts as I have kept
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mine, Heaven will surely bestow upon you blessings."
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3. Taoism. Tract of the Quiet Way
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Parvati, on seeing her son Ganesha resuscitated, embraced him joyously and
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clothed him with new garments and ornaments. After kissing his face, she said,
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"O Ganesha, you have had great distress since your very birth. You are blessed
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and contented now. You will receive worship before all the gods. You will be
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free from distress. Vermillion is on your face now. Hence you will be
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worshipped with vermillion by all men always.
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"All achievements certainly accrue to him who performs your worship with
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flowers, sandal paste, scents, auspicious food offerings, waving of lights,
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betel leaves, charitable gifts, circumambulations, and obeisance. All kinds of
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obstacles will certainly perish."
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Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu declared in unison, "O great gods, just as we three
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are worshipped in all the three worlds, so also Ganesha shall be worshipped by
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all of you. He is the remover of all obstacles and the bestower of the fruits
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of all rites."
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4. Hinduism. Shiva Purana, Rudrasamhita 18
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Rig Veda 10.63.2: Cf. Rig Veda 1.164.46, p. 59, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.1,
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p. 81. Gandavyuha Sutra: The great bodhisattvas, who are worshipped in popular
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Buddhism, embody and symbolize different aspects of the Buddha. Samantabhadra,
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which means Universally Good, is the embodiment of the Buddha's vows and
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practices. Manjusri embodies the Buddha's wisdom. Avalokitesvara (Chinese:
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Kuan Yin) embodies the Buddha's compassion for beings in distress. See also the
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famous hymn to Kuan Yin in Lotus Sutra 25, pp. 566f. Tract of the Quiet Way:
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In popular Taoism the great officials and emperors of old have ascended to
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heaven and become blessed spirits. Lord Scripture Glory (Wen Chang) is one of
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the chief Taoist deities.
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the
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sake of those who are to obtain salvation?
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5. Christianity. Bible, Hebrews 1.14
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The work of the Holy Spirit is the phenomena which have been working to
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harmonize the spiritual world and the human world through love.
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6. Unification Church. Sun Myung Moon, 5-1-81
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Those who have said, "Our Lord is God," then have gone straight, upon them the
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angels descend, saying, "Fear not, neither sorrow; rejoice in Paradise that you
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were promised. We are your friends in the present life and in the world to
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come; therein you shall have all that your souls desire..."
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7. Islam. Qur'an 41.30-31
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If a man perform a religious precept, one angel is assigned to him; if he
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perform two precepts, two angels are assigned to him; if he perform all the
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precepts, many angels are assigned to him; as it is said, "For He shall give
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His angels charge over you, to keep you in all thy ways" (Psalm 91.11). Who
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are these angels? They are his guardians from the harmful spirits; as it is
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said, "A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand"
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(Psalm 91.7).
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8. Judaism. Midrash, Tanhuma Numbers 19
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Now the Lord had shown to me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized
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before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and
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great ones;
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And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them,
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and he said, "These I will make my rulers"; for he stood among those that were
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spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said to me, "Abraham, you are
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one of them; you were chosen before you were born."
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And there stood one among them who was like unto God [Jesus Christ], and he
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said to those who were with him, "We will go down, for there is space there,
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and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth on which these
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may dwell;
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"And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things that the
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Lord their God shall command them...."
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And the Lord said, "Let us go down." And they went down at the beginning, and
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they, that is the gods, formed the heavens and the earth.
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9. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pearl of Great Price, Abraham
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3.22-4.1
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Shiva Purana, Rudrasamhita 18: Ganesha is depicted with an elephant head and a
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human body. His worship is popular among contemporary Hindus. In this, his
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foundation legend, Ganesha had been decapitated in battle, and to restore him
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to life the head of an elephant was affixed to his body. He is given blessings
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and is offered to humanity to be worshipped as 'the remover of all
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obstacles'--a role suitable to the symbolism of an elephant. Hebrews 1.14: Cf.
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Qur'an 21.19-22, p. 84; Michi-no-Shiori, p. 84; Hebrews 13.1, p. 991. Many
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Christians revere the saints: chief among them Mary, the mother of Jesus--cf.
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The Rosary, p. 834--from whom emanate grace for the people of the world. Sun
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Myung Moon, 5-1-81: Cf. Acts 2.1-18, p. 577; Romans 8.26-27, p. 648. Qur'an
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41.30-31: Cf. Qur'an 13.10-11, p. 190; 50.17-19, p. 347. Tanhuma Numbers 19:
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Cf. Midrash, Psalms 17.8, p. 312; Abot 4.13, p. 338; Psalm 91.1-13, Tract of
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the Quiet Way, p. 1009.
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Sansang suira!
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There are eight peaks within the inner mountain,
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And thirteen famous places in the outer mountain.
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Within these famous mountains and the great heavens of all Buddhas,
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The great altar of the nation is protected by the great generals.
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Was not the general Chae Yong one of them?
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The famous general of Korea,
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Who was favored by his people....
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Oh, I am the great mountain god.
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If I sit down, I cover three thousand li [the entire land of Korea].
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If I stand up, I stretch over ninety thousand li [the whole world].
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If I look down with my clear mirror, I can observe ten thousand li.
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Oh, I am the great mountain god.
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What can you offer to satisfy me?
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Is the whole pig covered with a red cloth enough?
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Is the bundle of three different colored silks enough?
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Offer many rich silks to me.
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Oh, you, the husband and wife of this home.
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Do you remember who gives you the food that sustains you?
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Who gave you a home?
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Who gave you wealth?
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Who gave you long life?
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I, the Sansang, gave you blessings and aid in times of need.
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10. Korean Shamanism. Invocation of the Mountain Spirit
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Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3.22-4.1: In the teaching of the Latter-Day
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Saints, all people pre-existed as spirits and as gods, and they participated
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with God in the creation of the world. The text goes on to review the contents
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of Genesis 1, pp. 126f, but with 'the gods' acting at each stage of creation.
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Shaman's Invocation: Sansang is the Mountain God. As the mountain is a symbol
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of strength and power, Sansang is also the god of great generals, and is
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personified by the famous general Chae Yong of the Silla dynasty. The Mountain
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Spirit is also often symbolized by a tiger, who in legend inhabits the mountain
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recesses. The shamaness (mudang) who invokes Sansang by singing this song
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wears a general's costume and a hat with tiger's fur, and holds flags and a
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sword. Sansang is one of twelve spirits which are invoked in turn during the
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shamanist ritual, which is called a kut.
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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I looked at the moss-covered stones. Some of them seemed to have the features
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of a man, but they could not answer me. Then I had a dream, and in my dream
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one of these small, round stones appeared to me and told me that the maker of
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all was Wakan Tanka, and that in order to honor him I must honor his works in
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nature. The stone said that by my search I had shown myself worthy of super-
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natural help. It said that if I were curing a sick person I might ask its
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assistance, and that all the forces of nature would help me work a cure....
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Some believe that these stones descend with the lightning, but I believe they
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are on the ground and are projected downwards by the bolt. In all my life I
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have been faithful to the sacred stones. I have lived according to their
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requirements, and they have helped me in all my troubles. I have tried to
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qualify myself as well as possible to handle these sacred stones. I know that
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I am not worthy to speak [directly] to Wakan Tanka, so I make my requests of
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these stones and they are my intermediaries.
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11. Native American Religions Sioux Tradition
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"The path of the hekura is visible, luminous; there arises from it something
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like a fiery breath that makes the air heavy and almost unbreathable. One does
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not see the hekura, one feels the wind they raise when they move. During the
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hunt from which I just returned, I scattered the hekura who were in me."
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"Ordinary men are unable to recognize them. Yet the wind tells us that they
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are there."
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"I see them only at night, when I close my eyes."
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"One can see them only then."
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"Their paths become luminous for me. I am sleeping; they approach and summon
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me to answer them. They suddenly wake me by shaking my arm or pulling on my
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ankle."
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"Those who are not truly shamans do not hear them. He who is really a shaman
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hears a kind of buzzing, 'bouu...' during his sleep, and this song echoes,
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rebounding off the celestial vault. He opens his eyes and says to himself, 'I
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am going to see them now!' The parrotlets sing, 'bre, bre, bre...,' he knows
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that it is they. A cool breeze then glides along his legs..."
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"I saw the hekura walk on a rotten branch; I was passing right underneath."
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"Indeed, it was they; but they were not friendly toward you. The strong odors
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of the smoking grill, the smell of singed hair, of scorched meat near the fire,
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all this drives them off. Yet they did seem inclined to approach you."
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"They give off a heady perfume; it comes from the dyes and the magic plants
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they carry with them. Suddenly, I stopped smelling these aromas, my nostrils
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no longer perceived them."
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"Therefore when one is at the end of the initiation, it is advisable not to
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hunt. If a flock of toucans takes flight and one of them lands near you, then
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all the others immediately follow suit. Be sure not to frighten them: stare at
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them fixedly and continue on your way; you be sure that they are hekura. Of
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course, there are those you drove away during the hunt; but don't be overly
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concerned, I foresee that those were not the good ones. The others remain, who
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came into your breast while you were lying in your hammock. Those are truly
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yours, they are in you."
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12. Native American Religions. Yanomami Shaman's Instruction (Brazil)
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Sioux Tradition: Cf. Dakota Tradition on Wakan Tanka, p. 83; Cree Round Dance,
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p. 55; Cheyenne Song, p. 294; Zuni Song, pp. 295f.; Gros Ventres Tradition of
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the Pipe Child, p. 247.
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"Ah, the spirits of my ancestors have looked down from heaven, watching over
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and helping me. The hosts of evil have now been subdued one and all, and we
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are without enemy or misfortune. Let us now therefore give worship to the
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heavenly deities, vowing to abide by the teachings of our imperial ancestors."
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With that, Emperor Jimmu prepared places of worship in the mountains of Tomi...
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and thus performed worship to the imperial ancestors and to the heavenly
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deities.
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13. Shinto. Nihon Shoki 3
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The light which these souls [of departed saints] radiate is responsible for the
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progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples. They are like leaven
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which leavens the world of being, and constitute the animating force through
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which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest.... These souls and
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symbols of detachment have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme
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moving impulse in the world of being.
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14. Baha'i Faith. Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah 81
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The spirit that eats a man's offering, pays him back with life.
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15. African Traditional Religions. Proverb
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Yanomami Shaman's Instruction: This is a conversation between an experienced
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shaman and his apprentice. Note how the shaman is trained to become sensitive
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to faint odors, sounds, and touch which indicate the presence of spirits. More
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of this instruction is given on p. 528. Nihon Shoki 3: In Shinto, there is
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little difference between the kami and the spirits of ancestors, deceased
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emperors, great saints, and heroes. All are worthy of worship; all merge i
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