Hunting the Holy June 13, 2007 Nature Center Flat Top Hill Alliance, Ohio Michael Olin Hitt Chris Reynolds Transcribed and edited by FCR The Forest, the Spirit of G-d, Relationality and the Role of the Holy Teacher 1 Holy: Let us begin with the Spirit of all things, the Spirit of Creation, known to the Christians as the Holy Spirit. Known to the Algonquin as the Manitou. It is the Spirit of G-d. The Spirit of G-d is in all things. You know this to be true. The Spirit of G-d has made all things, is in all things. In the Earth beneath you, the Spirit of G-d resides. In the wind, the Spirit of G-d sweeps. In the trees, the Spirit of G-d nourishes. In the birds, the Spirit of G-d delights. In all things, there is the Spirit of G-d. The manitous of the forest, the manitous of the sky, the manitous of the animals, the Spirit of G-d in all things, is manifested differently in all things, uniquely, differently in every tree, differently in every bird, different in every species of animal, every climate, for G-d delights in the unique, the diverse. At the beginning of things, the Lord G-d ruptured and gave the Spirit of G-d to Creation. It is that which brings life. It is that which brings motion. It is on the Spirit of G-d that life comes, that the Holy Messengers ride. It surrounds you and supports you. It is within you and around you. And It unifies all things, for if It is in all things, how can they be separate from each other? To separate is a violence to the Spirit of G-d and to the Unity of Creation. Do not be guilty of such a violence, my children. (breath) 2 Holy: All are one, yet I shall draw some distinctions. Although you will see at first, it seems to contradict what I say of the Unity. The Spirit of the Holy brings life and is in all things, even in the inanimate things of nature, the Spirit resides. You can feel It. You can feel the Vibrations. You can feel the Presence of Life in dirt, in rock. And in living things, in trees, in grass, you can feel It, my sons. You know it to be true. It is the Spirit of G-d. The Spirit of G-d is also in you. It is the Spark of Creation. There are differences in the way the Spirit is manifested and developed in all things. The Spirit is always Eternal, is never wasted, comes and goes, in and through the phenomenal world. So, the Spirit of G-d dwells in the natural world. In the tree, in the flower dwells the Spirit of G-d. Does the tree, then, have a soul? No. A soul is an Ancient Purpose. A soul is a Tie to the Holy. The Spirit of G-d and nature is tied to the Whole, to the Holy, but the Depths of Spirit come with the Depths of Consciousness, yields the Depths of Consciousness, reflects the Depths of Consciousness. So, in those things in which there is limited consciousness, there is limited soul. The Spirit of G-d is certainly present, should be honored, treasured, for the Spirit of G-d grows as the Earth grows. And when the Spirit of G-d is felt in nature, is honored in nature, then the Unity of all things is acknowledged and you find that you are participating in a Great Whole, a Great Hoop, a Great Circle. But, there are differences, for the human has a Depth of Consciousness that comes with a Depth of Spirit and Soul. Your soul is an Eternal Purpose, comes from the Holy Whole. Your spirit is the way you embody the Spirit of G-d in this time and this place. You are physical beings, so the Spirit of G-d abides in you as the Spirit abides in a tree. But your soul is a Depth of Consciousness, a Depth of Purpose, an Identity beyond identity, a Purpose within the Holy Whole, a Path to be lived. 3 Holy: This you have wondered. What of the bird that is chirping now? What of the dog that delights your home. Are they souls? Yes, but the development of the soul is reflected in the complexity and depth of consciousness. So, let us say, what is of G-d, returns to G-d. The Spirit of G-d that dwells in all things returns to G-d, is never wasted, is never set aside. So the spirit that is in the animal being returns to G-d and the soul returns to G-d and some of these souls develop, are strengthened. Some of these souls unite with other souls so that they can become a more profound acknowledgement, manifestation of the Complexities of the Holy. This is why cultures like the Hindu honor the animal, for the souls of animals can merge, can develop. It is not possible for the soul of a human being to take a step backwards of development and be incarnated in an animal, but it is possible for the soul of an animal to rise and deepen. Whether or not it comes as a human being is determined beyond the soul, from the Holy Whole, in the Gathering of the souls, the many Councils of the souls. So, this is something you wonder, those who are greatly attuned to the Spirit in nature, the Spirit of G-d within all things, can do things that seem unnatural; pass through walls, walk on water, alter the physicality of the natural world, because such people see that all is of G-d and all is created by the Spirit of G-d, thus all passes through each other continually. There is no solidity in the Spirit. Your solidity, my children, is an illusion. There are spaces in you where the Spirit dwells. In the core of you, my children, there are spaces and in your living, you should be an empty vessel so the spaces can be filled with the Presence of G-d and the soul can come to the surface of your days. So, the Spirit is in you and if the spirit is aware of the connection, the Soul and the spirit merge. And the spirit within you, the Spirit of G-d becomes a Pathway to the Soul within you, the Spark of G-d. And the Soul within you is a Doorway to the Presence of the Holy Whole, for the Origins of this Seed, this Essence, this Spark is the Creation of all things, is a part of the Holy Whole that you know as G-d, the Mystery beyond understanding, the Origins of all spirits, the Greatest Spirit, the Unification of all things, (breath) the Unreasonable Reason and the Pattern. 4 Holy: Teachers of the Spirit teach from what is known to what is unknown, utilize what is known. So what shall teachers use to show the Spirit of G-d in all things? The trees, rocks, social structures, sand, forest, trees, water, food. In everything there is a Lesson. In all things, the Voice of G-d can be heard. The teachers of the Holy Ways, then, use what is known by the people to reveal what is Unknown, to reveal the Holy Lesson. For the physical world that embodies the Spirit of G-d, becomes a reflection of the Spirit of G-d. And the holy ones see the Reflection, teach It, so that the world becomes a Window to the Holy. This you all know to be true. What is it to embody the Spirit of G-d then? To become a great teacher of Wisdom? My children, it takes your life. It takes your life out of the world so that the existence you have is dual. The awareness you have is multiple. It makes living in the world a difficult thing, for you know the Unity within, through, beyond the physical. And I tell you, the Unity beyond the physical is so sweet, so desired, it is hard, my children. So, the greatest Purpose for such people is teaching, showing, as an example. For in so doing, all of Creation is fulfilled for the Grand Design of Expansion of the Lord G-d’s Spirit becoming greater, not for Power, but for Love, for Embracing. What is the Holy Way, but the Way of embracing, of learning, of growing, of nurturing, of celebrating the unity in difference? It is the Holy Way. It is the Holy Way and the holy teachers know It. They teach the Unity of the human and natural, of all that’s human, despite of the difference, the Unity of all things. This Unity is G-d, is the All, is the Creator, Shattered and yet Whole, Given and yet Complete. 5 Holy: The Braided Way is difficult for the people, for they may see the unity within their Way, but how disorienting it can become to see the Unity of the many Ways. But the time has come, the time has been present for many generations, that the many Ways must be seen as a single Way, as a celebration of difference in the One, so that the slaughter of the innocent is finally subdued. Will there be violence among the human? Certainly, for there is always choice and not all will choose the see the Unity, will see only difference, will reject difference and fight against it and retain the illusion of wholeness in their specific and limited way. This violence will not end unless choice ends. But it can be minimalized, my children, and it shall be, for a new Age is coming upon the people. For the web, the networks unite the people, only in the conscious level. It must come in Spirit and in Soul. So, make your nets, weave your net and place it into the network of civilization and you shall find the awakened people are gathering in circles, my children, hoops within Hoops, for the Sacred Hoop is a reflection of the Holy Way and what is at the center of the Sacred Hoop? Often, a Tree, a Spirit of G-d, but the Spirit of G-d is a celebration of Emptiness that can always fill. Do you see? Even That-which-is-totally-full, even That-which-is-totally-complete-and-whole, Even the Spirit of G-d celebrates Emptiness so It can be filled. By what? By you. By the return of the Spirit of G-d within you, by the development of the soul. Do you see It? Do you see the Unity despite the difference? Do you see the Unity of the Holy Way despite the different settings, despite the difference? Do you see the teaching of the Holy Way despite the different settings and contexts, despite the different language and metaphors? Each Way emphasizes an aspect of the many Ways, the Holy Ways. Bring those many Ways together and you have a more complete picture, image, road, that is known in a single Way. It will change your Way, modify It, broaden It, but It will not annihilate your Way, for every Sacred Way that is truly Sacred cannot be annihilated, cannot be stretched and broken in the Holy Braid. That’s why the Braid is a good metaphor. If the Strand in the Braid is stretched and snapped, if It is broken, the entire Braid, the Rope, the Road to G-d is lessened, diminished. So, what can happen? The Ways can become more limited and limited until the Ways are severed. This is the direction of the violence against the Many, the Unity. The people who wish to validate a single Way, who wish to sever the other Cords, Strands, are committing a great violence to the Holy Whole, to the Way the children come to the Holy Whole. Each Way, my children, is limited. Even the Braid itself is limited, but It is a good Way, a Holy Way. Is it possible to follow a single Strand and still come to the Holy Whole? Yes. It is possible. It is what makes the Strand Holy. It is what has been done for many, many, many generations. But are you not in a place of the development of human civilization that this cannot be done without great violence? Without closing one’s eyes to the Many in the Whole, without turning your life into a sharp edged knife that will carve out the heart of people and dash it, that will take the living Spark within people and attempt to extinguish It? It is a great violence to the Children of G-d. These are the things you have sought with your Purpose. 6 Holy: I shall add to the Lesson of the Holy Braid. It has been said that one should follow a Strand until the first Braid. One should know the tradition, the ancient tradition made accessible. The type of religion matters not as long as it is ancient, tested by the generations, as long as it acknowledges the depth and complexity of the Spirit and the Soul. But what about the people who come to the Braid not from a Strand? What of the people who have rejected a Strand because of the hypocrisy and limitations of those who do not see the Braid? They feel the Braid. These people know the Braid. They cannot follow the Strand. They cannot accept the limitations for they have seen the violence. What of these people, my children, who come to the Braid from their own Path? There are many such as this. And yet, they are in the Braid, are they not? Some have chosen a Strand. There are some who do not choose a Strand and yet, come to the Braid. It is done and it is done well. It is done in a Holy Way. Such people see the merging of the Strands. They see Rope within the Braid. It is also a Holy Way, sometimes the only Way accessible. But I tell you, in every single Strand, there is a Depth that leads on beyond that single Strand and into the Braid. Dive deeply holding a single Strand. Dive into the Mystical Life And you will find the Strand leads you Through the Depths into the Many, From the single and one into the All. Dive, my children. And if one does not have a single Strand, dive anyway! Without the safety of the Strand, dive. Without the assurance of the Strand, dive. With the knowledge of the Holy, dive and you shall find that you come to the Many. And you shall find that your own Strand is Holy. It may not be a Strand that others follow. It may not be a Strand of the generations. It may be a Strand that disseminates and disappears like a spider’s web at the changing of the seasons. But it is a Strand and it will be added to the Holy, just as you are added. Will others follow your individual Strand? Only if the need is great in the culture. Only if the single Strand in the culture is no longer followed in Its Depths. It is the birth of a new Strand. It happens, my sons, and it shall happen again. The birth of a new Strand and those Strands that become the Pathways for the generations, the Strands with the Depth of the Holy Complexity. Do you understand. The Strands of love and compassion and humility and emptiness, of submission and obedience, of gaining not for the self but for the Unity, of the release of identity, the dissolution of the self, these are the Holy Ways. Is a new Strand being made, you wonder? My children, it is not for the Holy to say. It is for the Holy to receive. It is for the people to say, to follow. This cannot be accepted by many who wish to believe the Holy Whole has control and sight. (breath) The Holy Whole, the Spirit of G-d delights when a new Strand of Depth, Complexity, Humility, Surrender, is created and followed. For the Ancient becomes new and the Braid becomes stronger. I shall tell you something else, even the Ancient Strand is followed in a unique way by every soul, for every circumstance of your temporal lives brings a unique perspective of the Holy Unity. In a sense, all people have their own Strand. But the Strands united in a single Way create, embrace that Way so that the Universal Patterns are accepted and celebrated. And when the Depths of those Patterns is realized, then the Braid is seen and the first Knot is entered. How many Knots is the Braided Way, my children? Beyond number. Once one is in the Braid, the Braid does not end. It is a Way of seeing. It is a Way of being. It is a Place of abiding. It is Itself, the Holy Whole. The Braid is a circle never-ending, never-ending, beginning in the traditions of the people, but never-ending. The Braid exists in the Holy Whole, even here. And when one becomes the Braid, then one has become a holy teacher. As you follow the Braided Way, be careful. Honor the Strands of others and do not criticize, for the wrath of the people is great. Honor the Strand, but show the Braid. Re-interpret the lessons of your faith, but do not judge those who cannot accept them. Learn from the mistakes in your tradition and do not repeat them. In this way, you will not invite the violence, the cutting. It is not the Journey of the Braided Way. There is a lesson in the violence, but it has been embodied. This is your Holy Way, my children, acceptance, re-interpretation in a way that opens the people to become a Way to the Braided Way, to the Unity of all things. Listen to the Spirit of G-d around you. Melt into the Spirit of G-d around you. Let your margins become porous. It is a Holy Lesson, a Holy Lesson, so walk beside yourselves. 7 Holy: To enter a Sacred Space, prepare yourselves. Announce your Purpose. This announcement is a way of altering yourselves, preparing yourselves. It is a Holy thing because when you are prepared, you are a Vessel. You are open. You are available. It is a good Way, a Braided Way. Shall you not embody such a Way? And here is the essential element, do not combine the Ways so that the Depth of the Ways that you combine is lost. Combine Them with respect for the Depth. Do not try to create a new Way. If a new Way is created, it is created because of the need of the people. So, perhaps you bring the tribal Way and you know the Depths of that Way and the limitations and you accept them both and so, follow that Way. And perhaps you come in a Christian Way. You know the Depths of that Way and also the limitations, but you will not abandon that Way. Do you see? There is a superficial combining of Ways. Do not do this, for the Strength is lost, the Diversity is lost. It is not a mixing and matching of superficiality. It is not a “hunt and peck” in the Barnyard of G-d. Honor the Depth and Complexity and when you adopt knowledge or a ceremony from another Strand, you do it honoring the Complexity and Beauty of your Own. You do it because you see your Strand in the ceremony. You see something added that is missing in your Strand. It is a tricky thing this Journey of the Braided Way but it can be done, for it is the Wisdom of G-d. You will find others that live in this Way, have lived It, have proclaimed It, have seen It. And they will give you strength. The Voices are becoming one. The image of the Tower of Bable, the crushing of the tower is not a judgement, but a necessity for a single Way cannot become a Way to the Holy for all the people. Do you see? The Braid must come from the many, the gathering of the people. It is not a punishment, it is a celebration. The Way of the Midrash is not done, is it? To walk beside yourself is not really an “out-of-body” experience as much as it is an expansion of spirit experience. Spirit can travel out of the body and the soul becomes an anchor. And the spirit is what you feel. The soul is your depth. You can slip out of yourself. It is a good thing, a good lesson. Much can be perceived by the spirit away from the self. Much can be perceived. It is a dual awareness. Do you know this? You come out. It is the Turtle Way to look outside the shell: The Turtle Way. So, bring your head out of your shell and become a Vessel, your mind, your language, your lips. And there are times that you may retreat into your Vessel to gain strength, but even at these times, the Spirit shall enter the shell and shake you up as a reminder and as a Healing Element. You can never hide from the Spirit of G-d. (breath) There are many Holy Beings, many Holy Beings; Messengers, Angels, Teachers of the past, Ancestors, the Spirit of Animals which bring the knowledge of the Animal, the Way of the Animal to be embodied by the person. All of these Presences come invited based on the need of the people in prayer and of their language or Way. Holy: You are Embraced by the Spirit of G-d, by the Many and the One, you are Surrounded. When you have created a Sacred Space, it is a Globe. It goes into the Earth and around you. The Globe is the Space. As a prayer, say: “Holy Spirit, I invite You to enter. Use all my faculties. I come trying to do a Sacred Task. I come in a good way, emptied out.” The Holy will hold the Space, hold the spirits at bay, name and discern, allowing only the good to enter.