On Greatness: From My Friend, Gary

Dear Peter,

My accident [a broken shoulder] and your questions regarding greatness caused me to search for this in my notes from 35 years ago when after the Nam I had retreated to the Navajo clan my father worked with when I was a child. That clan of Nazzi was close to the Hopi clan Parrot, where I first read this story.

It calls to me now when I most wish to gather strength.

Love to you and Ellie,

Gary

A HOPI ELDER SPEAKS

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered . . . 


Where are you living? 


What are you doing? 


What are your relationships? 


Are you in right relation? 


Where is your water? 


Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community. 


Be good to each other.

And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

“Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, "This could be a good time!" 

"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.



"Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. 



"The time for the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. 



"We are the ones we've been waiting for"-- attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder 


Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona

In a postscript, Gary adds:

To be more specific regarding the origin myths of the Hopi, and there are several, the sun is where life came from and it is Spider Woman or Huruing Whuti the Deity of all hard substances, who lived in a Kiva under the sea until the sun evaporated much of the ocean. The gods sent a wren over the land to see if any life existed.

The wren missed Spider Woman's Kiva as it looked much like the earth. Sent back to look again she was found after a very thorough search. She controls all the powers of life along with Snake. Not surprising considering the poison contained in many of these creatures. It is Spider Rock, a 1100 rock spire within Canyon De Chelly at Chinle, AZ where adolescent boys became men by climbing up to meet Spider Woman, always the oldest female priest within the Hopi Tribe who initiated the boys with the hallucinogen peyote.

Their dream/hallucinations were guided by her to instill reverence for the old ways and myths. Spider Woman's Kiva had a hole in the western interior floor where she lived. Humans emerged from this hole guided by Spider Woman towards the outside world. Hopi's believe that an event will occur and they will return back to the ground from whence the came.

To which The Buddha Diaries adds: The great truths are not the monopoly of one religion, nor of a single set of metaphors and symbols. There are many beautiful ways to honor the powerful and mysterious forces of the universe and our place in it. Much of the wisdom above--though not the myth--could have come from the mouth of the Buddha.