Picture: Divide Mountain: We look out on the mountain where we are staying–it is considered a very holy mountain by the Black Feet Indian Tribe.
Each culture brings unique contributions to the collective world consciousness. Here at Glacier National Park we are in the heart of what had been traditional Black Feet territory, to the north was the Kootenai and to the west were the Salish and Nez Perce.
One of the great strengths of the native population was the feeling that the land and its animals were sacred. Through oral traditions this feeling was instilled in children from a young age. Taking this single concept, we can all attune ourselves to the sacred nature of the land we are immersed in.
The emphasis in Western Culture has been to build a house of God—a church, temple, mosque or cathedral in which God is seen to exist and to be worshipped. One of the things I have written about in particular since going on pilgrimage around North America is finding Nature’s Cathedrals; those sacred sites in nature that have existed since its evolutionary beginnings. There are certainly special places that resonate with powerful spiritual vibrations in nature that are systemic to the area itself. Many times these places will have sacred buildings or associations connected to them created by those who have inner awareness, and then there are times when there is no particular history to a place, but one may feel it and know from being in its presence.
Indians certainly had their favored sacred places, but there was also the idea that the earth itself is sacred and that animals play a special role in this interplay between spirit, earth and man. Those early inhabitants lived close to earth’s elements and many were sensitively attuned souls to this connection, open to the transformative experiences that can come by being in untrammeled nature.
As I walk along isolated trails through lush vegetation there is a vibrancy that God is moving throughout all of pristine nature. Birds calling, two bucks lazing next to me as I sit in my chair, a bear visiting at our door, eagles and hawks soaring overhead are all messengers of active spirit moving through its creatures. In this interplay there is a feeling that there are no accidental movements, these animals are part of an ocean of life-energy. People are not mere interlopers in this creation—but vital parts of it. By being mindful and keenly attuned to the spiritual dimension of creation new worlds of awareness opens to the soul.
The ideal of knowing that all creation is spirit is not known by all native people, nor is it barred to others, but the notion is interwoven into traditional culture and the invitation is there for all to become immersed into its deeper mysteries. One needs but a willing heart to go further into this awareness and know that universal Spirit really is all-pervading, including material creation as well as that which is beyond it. No one culture has every aspect of Truth or God in its pocket, but each brings a special view into its limitless variety.
In our time here in this glacially formed cathedral we have felt the healing power of nature when walking under its canopy of trees, observing a meadow carpeted with alpine flowers in full bloom, open to the many creatures that interplay with us as we visit their homes, and the deepening of inner spiritual qualities with the support of Mother Nature’s splendors as our souls sing out “Oh God beautiful” in spontaneous response. So, whether it is a walk in your garden, a local park, a water shore, mountain view or ancient giants of the forest, seek out the healing currents that run abundantly throughout nature and know the great benefits that God is constantly giving to us through this land that is sacred.
Picture: Alpine Flowers
