WALK WITH A SURGEON SANGOMA

MORE ON INWARD BOUND #5

 

Jung, Maslow and ancient wisdom have said the search for the true Self or real Self or higher Self is at the core of all human motivation. Whether we know it or not, we are searching for this connection and the drive is always present, even if subconscious. The higher Self is that God-like part of ourselves, the soul, our Buddha Self or Christ consciousness or in Yoga texts, the Atman. In order to reach our inner being or higher Self, we must subordinate ego to that Self.
Nature is one of the easiest places for us to facilitate this inner journey - its all a question of intention.
There is a story of two Buddhist monks who were always arguing and debating with one another. The one entered a doorway and stood there saying to the other; "What am I doing, going in or going out?" to which his friend answered; "That depends entirely on your intention." Intention and a certain inner receptivity are key to being in nature in a meditative way.


The figure above demonstrates some of the polarities that can catalyze wilderness or nature's rapture.
There should be an element of fear or rather wonder much in the sense that though the bible often says we should fear the Creator, in Hebrew it could also be read as in being in AWE of the Great Spirit. We should honor the splendor of the Garden of Eden archetype.

It is a simple but profound action when ones enters the "Garden" to open the space for one's intention and to close it formally when one exits, either at the beginning and the end of the journey or in the moment of that encounter whether its a few hours or a day. 

One can look for metaphors and signs offered by the Still, Growing and Wild Beings of nature that arise as we walk. Clearly an experience in a vehicle, a 4x4, bicycle or even a horse may not allow this focus.  We need to keep it simple. This is when we may come into contact with a power animal either in real time or in a dream. Often this animal or other "Being" may be the one we need at that moment in time rather than the one we want - a mouse to signify humility (rather than something grand like a bald eagle.) A fox may tell us we have to be a little cunning with an encounter we are going to have on our return. A coyote may signify a trickster  that will try and manipulate an event soon.

It is easy to subordinate our ego when we immerse in wild places - the more wild the more the humility when we come into direct contact with the power of Her elements. 

Time is key and for me five days is optimal. However, the longer we are out the better. The 40 days and nights of spiritual masters might be too much for most of us. However, peeling away the polluting effects of modern daily living that prevent us from reaching Self, takes time.

Solitude is essential at given moments even if this means walking in complete silence with others and with spaces apart. Using other meditative techniques to deepen our state of consciousness helps.

The Ancestors

For those who can't get "out" - a walk on the beach, a garden or park can do the same thing. Again its all about intention and receptivity.

Outward Bound's mission statement is to take folks of all ages into wilderness areas, give them increasingly difficult skills to perform, assure their success and hence enhance self mastery, self worth and self actualization. Being "Inward Bound" is different and is more about transpersonal experiences, transcendence and Self realization (the Ancestors prefer the word Becoming because Self realization and enlightenment infer an end point and there is no end point.)

The Ancestors

Being inwardly directed is to rely more on soft than hard skills and the soft fascinations of nature such as; the sounds or mantra of the bush; the music of water running, or the wind in the trees, sun and moon "sets" and "rises," aromas and entraining our biorhythms to the rhythms of nature.
The longer we are out the more likely inner experiences such as dreams, synchronicity, coherence of our and the group vibration, healing and intuitive insights will manifest.
Wilderness Rapture occurs if only for a brief moment in times when The Knower
The Known
 the Process of Knowing 
fuse into one (The Oneness Experience or Unity Consciousness.)
This was Bunnell's experience as one of the first whites to enter Yosemite Valley.

In summary

Click on the links to highlight then play

_-_MP3s/05_Fire_of_Transformation.mp3

-_MP3s/01_The_Four_Beings.mp3

Next week we will talk about our Incorporation of the experience.

All of these factors can be extrapolated to the future segment on Tshisimane - the indigenous healing center established much later in a remote mountain area in the far north of South Africa.