giovanni
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odi profanum vulgus, et arceo
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Post by giovanni on Nov 8, 2005 8:58:05 GMT
Oh Great Spirit
Whose breath gives life to all the world... Hear me, I am small and weak... I need your strength and wisdom... Teach me the lessons You have hidden under every leaf and rock... Give me the strength -- not to be greater than my brother... but to fight my greatest enemy -- Myself. Let me walk in beauty and ever behold the red and purple sunset... and when the setting sunset fades -- may I come to You with clean hands, straight eyes, and no shame!
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
Posts: 2,184
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Post by ruffashlar on Feb 23, 2006 0:04:31 GMT
Hmm, a bit corny.
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 23, 2006 9:21:33 GMT
That's a bit cruel Bro Ruff. I missed this posting when it first appeared but it is obviously a Prayer , perhaps Australian Aboriginal or Maori in origin? In any event I don't see it as being any more "corny" than "Now I lay me down to sleep..." or "Our Father which art in Heaven...." or even "Hail Mary, full of grace....".
Prayer is said to be "The raising up of the Heart and Mind to God" and whether from a Missal or Prayer Book or in words of one's own devising it should be given due regard and respect.
If someone feels that repeating the words of "Oh Wakan Tanka" makes it easier for them to communicate with the Deity, then that is fine by me and I thanks Gio for posting it here.
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giovanni
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odi profanum vulgus, et arceo
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Post by giovanni on Feb 23, 2006 10:26:02 GMT
Ruff, I think that the words
Give me the strength -- not to be greater than my brother... but to fight my greatest enemy -- Myself.
are - or should be, at least - famliar to those who go in lodge to subdue their passions...
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 23, 2006 10:38:50 GMT
Perhaps in your form of Freemasonry Gio and no doubt in Cora's but alas I have found in quite a few cases that personal ambition and competitiveness does push such worthy sentiments to the side. Just evesdrop in the bar at some Masonic Centres after the Provincial Honours have been given out and you will hear what I mean as someone complains that they either haven't been given an Honour they expected, or the one they got is too low by their estimation or that someone else got an Honour that they think was underserved. (BTW as mentioned by Mr Mason in a recent post this is not a Problem in Scotland as there are very few Honorific Ranks there and many Brethren decline being given a Provincial Rank as it means actually performing that role. Perhaps there is a lesson there?
BTW is it Maori, Aboriginal or North American Plains Indian in origin?
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Feb 23, 2006 10:43:49 GMT
Perhaps, Steve.
I played many roles in freemasonry: I accepted the offices as a duty. The most important thing is to verify that no glue is on the chair you are sitting on...
Oh, I forgot to say that is North American
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ruffashlar
Member
Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
Posts: 2,184
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Post by ruffashlar on Feb 23, 2006 12:30:45 GMT
None of you got the joke: Wakan Tanka is the god of corn.
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 23, 2006 12:51:37 GMT
Too clever by half , Ruff. Humour can be a very difficult medium to work with, which is why I usally ignore it in serious topics.
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ruffashlar
Member
Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
Posts: 2,184
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Post by ruffashlar on Feb 23, 2006 20:12:37 GMT
I inject it like cavity wall insulation into any space in a serious subject. It's like having a martini during your tea-break.
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giovanni
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odi profanum vulgus, et arceo
Posts: 2,627
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Post by giovanni on Feb 23, 2006 22:17:36 GMT
Ok, any misunderstanding has been eventually clarified.
We can go on posting our comments
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Post by Liberty on Nov 23, 2006 2:53:59 GMT
Wakan Tanka is from the North American Souix Nation and refers to the North American Buffalo. The Souix were bonded with the Buffalo as thier world revolved around the great herds that roamed the plains. The buffalo provided meat ; it's skin clothing, etc. It was essential to the survival of the Souix Nation.
For some of our European posters who may not be familar with US History two of the greatest American Indian Chiefs were Souix : Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and incidentially both were mystics. They joined forces at the Little Big Horn and wiped out Gen. Custer and his troop of 7th Cavalry.
Crazy Horse had been forwarned through the Spirit world that he would not die by a bullet so he began the battle of the Little Big Horn by calmly riding out and presenting himself as a target for the Calvary who missed him evertime they shot at him.
Sadly both these noble men would die by violence. Crazy Horse was bayonetted by a turncoat Indian during a scuffle while surrendering and Crazy Horse shot dead by Cavalry some 15 years after the Big Horn while at a peaceful encampment during the time of the "Ghost Dance".
If any one is interested in the Souix Nation and thier metaphysics I recomend Frank G. Neihardts "Black Elk Speaks".
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Post by Liberty on Nov 23, 2006 15:46:23 GMT
When the great Chief Crazy Horse was 11 years old he looked up and had a "vision" of a wild horse coming down out of the clouds and told this to the tribal medicine man and thus his name. He was told, at a young age, that he would lead his nation in a struggle for it's survival. He was told he would not be killed by bullets. Throughout his life he straddled the world of the mystic and that of the warrior which perhaps for him was not a struggle at all.
His force of will and respect paid by other Tribal Leaders would help him lead the greatest gathering of Plains Indians (estimated 10,000) to ever join forces to try and keep thier sacred wheel from breaking and the Black Hills (thier sacred mountains) from being invaded by gold hunters.
For the last 40 years a monumental statue has been being carved, out of a mountain, of his image upon a horse so he will forever look across his sacred lands where the Great Wankan Tanka roamed .
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Post by Liberty on Nov 23, 2006 15:53:30 GMT
The 19th cent. destruction of the great herds of North American buffalo is a great loss in my country's culture. If anyone ever has a chance to see a North American buffalo please do and imagine thousands of them running; thier hooves sounding like thunder across the great plains.
Unlike those who hunted for Sport the Souix hunted the buffalo with tremendous respect. They did a buffalo dance the night before to prepare for the sacred hunt. Youths would not become a man until they had participated in the sacred hunt. During the dance they "became" the buffalo running with the wild herd feeling the "power" of the animal.
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Post by ariel on Nov 23, 2006 18:55:01 GMT
Re: North American Indians. I found a very interesting book which gave me a great insight in Noth American tribal gods (when when Reading Sociology at uni); here it is:- " Myths and Legends of the North American Indians" by Lewis Spence (first published in 1915)
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Post by Liberty on Nov 23, 2006 19:39:50 GMT
Ariel,
Sounds interesting but try and pick up Frank Neihardts "Black Elk Speaks" in the 1930's he was a researcher who went to Montana and the Dakotas and managed to speak with Souix Elders who had been born into the Souix Nation before it became contained by reservation life.
He spoke with old warriors who had been at the Little Big Horn and their versions of events were different than the myth portrayed in the movies and books of "Custer's Last Stand". Now archeologists are confirming with Neihardt recorded from the Souix.
It's always amazes me when the "experts" draw their own conclusions by discounting native tradtions or folklore.
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Post by ariel on Nov 24, 2006 0:20:24 GMT
Yes, Liberty, probably a much better book. Its horses for courses, I suppose !
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Post by windtimber on Nov 25, 2006 14:54:12 GMT
A couple small points - it's Sioux not Souix. "Wakon Tonka" is the "great mysterious one" in Lakota. The Great Spirit encompassing all things. John G. Neihardt learned Nicholas Black Elk's story through a series of interviews begun in 1930 at Manderson, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
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Post by Liberty on Nov 25, 2006 17:37:18 GMT
Thank you for clarification Windtimber. I had hoped you would chime in as you are from the Dakotas. I read "Black Elk" as a teenager so it has been awhile. I always thought "Tonka" was the Sioux word for Buffalo?
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Post by windtimber on Nov 25, 2006 23:57:58 GMT
I have no expertise in Lakota whatsoever. Remembering that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I think "tonka" is large, big, or great. American Bison - buffalo - is t'tonka or tatonka. I welcome clarification/correction by anyone who really knows the language and culture.
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Post by Liberty on Nov 26, 2006 19:09:21 GMT
Did some research; Tatanka is the Lakota Sioux word for Buffalo.
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