Sister Blackhawk:
Last night, you asked me what happens when we die. I gave you a very short, probably
terse, answer because I’ve been so conditioned to keep my learning to myself. That was the way I was taught to deal with Native teachings so many years ago and I trust that you understand my reluctance to talk about these things. They are considered sacred to me and not something that is talked about lightly or in an idle way.
Still, your question was a legitimate one and deserves an answer, as best as I can. What I believe is based mostly upon what my spiritual father, Ala:Kalahanamae, passed on to me many years ago. His was an ancient tradition and I believe he was a very wise Elder. Over the years since we parted, I have come to learn just how very wise he was.
The question is not what happens when we die but how we live our lives. If we follow our path according to the teachings we have been given, death is nothing more than turning a page, a shift in how we experience the universe that is an expression of the Great Spirit. Many, perhaps most, people fear death because they fear uncertainty. If we are not completely comfortable with the existence we have been given, we can fall into the trap of fearing the unknown, worrying about what is around the next corner. Our Native teachings lead us to become comfortable with the world as we know it, to learn to live within the Great Spirit and not as an outsider.
The truth of life is that we cannot know what is around the next corner. That is one of the great wonders that the Great Spirit has given us. We are a part of a constantly unfolding, constantly evolving universe which is, itself, an expression of the Great Spirit. Just like all the animals, all living things, the universe around us is always moving, changing, and growing. It is expressing the nature of the Great Spirit, who is constantly self-evolving.
One of the most common causes of fear of death is placing too much emphasis on ourselves. Yes, we are important, as is everything we see around us. But, we are not so important as to be able to understand the universe or control even a small part of it. The beauty of our lives is that we are riding with the Great Spirit on his or her journey, which is a journey of wonderment and fulfillment. We are along for the ride, we are not the driver. When we place ourselves in a self-important role and try to look around the next corner, we will almost surely make a mistake and make ourselves unhappy and worried.
Nothing in the universe disappears. Not only do our old teachings tell us that, but contemporary knowledge in many of the sciences now point in the same direction. For example, physics has now caught up with the teachings of the Ancient Ones and tells us that our universe is a continuum from which nothing ever appears or disappears. It is a universe of change and evolution, of which are but a small part. Sadly, we delude ourselves into believing that we are somehow a more important piece of the puzzle than we really are. We begin to believe that we are somehow in control of situations and other living beings. This is not only a dangerous delusion, it is an act of disrespect to the Great Spirit, who has created a universe in perfect harmony with itself. It is only us who fail to see and understand that wisdom.
What happens when we die? It’s not the right question. It’s a question that is based upon fear or a useless act of trying to control, through understanding, that which is not for us to know. We are an expression of the Great Spirit and it is our responsibility to make that expression as pure and straight as we can. This is why, in our tradition, we do not view religious organizations as necessary. They tend to separate us rather than bring us together, which is the essence of the Great Spirit – infinite harmony.
What happens when we die?
We go back home and experience that unity with the Great Spirit. It’s not important if we experience it in the same way as we experience our daily lives. Our lives, our many actions and activities, are also an expression of the Great Spirit. The real question is whether or not we are doing our best to make the expression honest.
Look at our brothers and sisters in the animal world. Do they fear death? Do they need to know what happens when they die? Of course not, because they are already perfect expressions of the Great Spirit. It is us who have to work hard to become as wise as our animal friends. We have to overcome Grandfather’s great gift of a fine intellect in order to return to where we ultimately belong, in the bosom of the Great Spirit.
Your brother,
Sleeping Crow
