The Sacred Door Trail (SDT) is a 165 mile inter-faith pilgrimage trail
located in western Montana
that is a celebration of spiritual unity, peace and our connection to Earth and
each other. The trail is a compilation
of already existing trails that make up a loop around the Philipsburg
Valley, exploring some of the most
beautiful mountains, rivers and valleys, not only in Montana,
but in all of the United
States. What is special about the trail is
that it is a shared sacred path, shared by as many people, faiths, and indigenous
cultures that care to support such an idea.
The trail serves to reconnect people back to our original church, our
original temple — Mother Earth. The
trail also acts as wonderful bridge for the environmental, interfaith, social
justice, and peace movements to come together to re-establish our sacred
reverence for Earth and each other.
The opening of the trail will occur in August of 2012. It will involve three days of dedication
ceremonies and blessings for the land given by representatives of all the
different faiths and indigenous cultures who support the project. The purpose of the blessings will be to
establish the land and trail as a shared sacred space. The American Indian
Institute, a 501(c)3 organization, will act as fiscal sponsor for the project. Our current support for the project includes
indigenous and faith-based leaders from around the world, as well as
inter-faith and environmental organizations that believe in such acts of unity.
The Trail recognizes our rich spiritual diversity as humans, but more
importantly, it honors the spirit that unifies all things, thereby turning the
many into one.
In the following essay I explore two steps that need to be taken in order
for us to reconnect to our true role as caretakers of life here on Earth rather
than dominators over it, and how the SDT might aid in that reconnection process. The
essay is composed of thoughts and insights that have come to me over the past
year of exploration both on and off the Sacred Door Trail.
Reconnecting to our Collective
Role as Caretakers
As within, so
without. When the cells in our body stop communicating with those
around it they become isolated, and they break their connection to the
community of life that surrounds and supports their own
well-being. From this place of disconnection and isolation
cancer arises in the cell. Cancer is always in our cells but is kept
at bay through healthy communication with the greater life system. However,
when a cell breaks away and isolates itself, that is when the cancer
grows. The cell then no longer works in cooperation with the greater
life system; instead, it takes on its own agenda and begins to try and take
over that which originally gave it life, not realizing that its own life is
intimately connected to the well being of the greater life
system. Sound familiar?
At one point in time long ago, deep
in the shadows of our history on this planet, a certain group of humans turned
their back on their sacred connection to the Earth. They ceased to
acknowledge that they came from the earth and instead began to believe that
they were above the earth and in being separate from it they believed it to be
their right to manipulate it for their own needs, thereby ignoring the needs of
the greater community that they where once a part of.
In losing their connection to their
source, they lost connection to the balance within themselves which then
created lifestyles and beliefs that perpetuated the imbalance on both an internal
and external level. These imbalances lead to unsustainable ways of
living. No longer could these people survive on the land they had
been using for generations upon generations. They began to run out
of resources, so they had to acquire new land, which meant going to war with
their neighbors.
Having acquired their neighbors'
land, they had to integrate the conquered people into their own way of
thinking, which was done by wiping out their cultural and spiritual
beliefs. They did this by simply erasing in one or two generations the
conquered people's connection to the land and life source. When the
people lost their connection to the land, they had no choice but to fall into
the new paradigm of belief that was being presented to them. As a
result, they lost internal balance and became a part of the zeitgeist that had
over-taken them. That pattern repeated itself, and here we find
ourselves today still repeating this age-old pattern of domination over others
and the environment.
War, greed,
environmental degradation, the oppression of the feminine and of indigenous peoples, racial and
religious persecution are all symptoms of this imbalance in ourselves that is a
direct result of our disconnection from our greater life system, Mother
Earth. Through this spiritual disconnect, humanity has turned into a
cancer upon the Earth. However, unlike the human body, thankfully the Earth is
much stronger and can easily withstand a small revolt of one aspect of her
body. Her white blood cells are strong and when called upon could
easily wipe out the aspects of herself (us) that are no longer engaged in
productive communication with the larger life system.
As human beings alive in this time
period we have a responsibility unlike that of any generation before
us. It is our responsibility to reconnect to not only the Earth's
life system but to the greatest life system of them all: the Universe. We
must recognize that we are expressions of both Earth and the Universe and that
everything that is created in this life system has a role to play for the
evolution of creation. If that role is not honored it will be
overtaken by some other aspect of creation that can fulfill that
role.
This responsibility is not owed to
the Earth or the Universe . . . as I said before, they will do just fine with
out us. This great responsibility is owed to the human family, to
all those that have come before us and all those who will hopefully come after
us. By shirking this responsibility we will be closing the door on
the human story. So what is our role here and how do we reconnect to
it?
Our role is simple. We
are the caretakers of this planet, just as a gardener tends her garden or a
sheepherder tends the herd so must we tend the planet and all life that lives
upon it. Can life survive here without humans? Of course
it can, but it cannot flourish. When a gardener comes to a plot of
soil that is overcome by weeds, the gardener can clear the weeds and add
compost and nutrients to the soil, allowing it to grow multiple crops, which
then give back to the nutrients and health of the soil and land. By
tending the land the gardener has made a clearer channel for creation to unfold
through, and in turn the gardener is given food to feed his or her own
family.
Through reconnecting to our true
role as caretakers of the Earth we are not only actualizing our own purpose but
we are actualizing the purpose of the universe and of the Earth which is to
offer a space for life to exist and evolve in a reciprocal
fashion. Creation is not about stagnation; it is about change and
evolution. Evolution allows life to express itself in fuller, more
complex ways that are constantly changing and reflecting a higher order in
which life unfolds.
We are conscious beings. This means
that we are a doorway for the Earth and the universe to be conscious of Itself. As
we begin to reconnect to our true role as caretakers, we will become co-creators
with the Universe and Earth, helping creation to move and express its self
with ever-evolving efficiency, complexity, and
beauty. However, if we are not honoring, fostering and caring
for creation, the circle of reciprocity is broken and we will be removed and
replaced. That could be the natural order of things . . .
however, we do have a choice.
There are two steps in the process
of reconnecting to our collective purpose and re-integrating back into the
greater life-systems that we are a part of. The first step lies in
redefining what success and progress mean on both an individual and collective
level. To do this, we have to look at the paradigm from which the
old definitions come. In the current societal/global paradigm
that has been running the show for thousands of years, success is defined
differently for men and women.
Men are taught that success is
achieved through what we make in this world. Are we making a lot of
money; are we contributing to the three main pillars of society — business,
industry and consumerism; are we leaving a mark, a legacy? If so,
then we are successful, for we have contributed to the ideals that our society
believes necessary to progress.
For women, they have been
encouraged to define their success through their ability to nurture
relationships. Are they nurturing their friendships, their
partnerships, and their children? If so, then they are (historically
speaking) successful. Of late, the success of the women's movement
has resulted (in part) in women being encouraged to define their success in
masculine terms, and this is the trap of our contemporary society.
We are encouraged to embrace a type
of masculine energy that is out of balance and defined by what it
conquers. Operating from this belief structure will only perpetuate
imbalance, further destruction and further disconnection both in us and in our
world. Instead of defining our success by masculine ideals shaped by
ages of imbalance from a dominating mindset, we must embrace the feminine
definition of success which is embodied in our ability to nurture and to be in
right relationship.
Right relationship entails
ourselves, our family, our community, our ancestors, our descendants and most
importantly right relationship with the Earth. If we are able to embrace this
new definition of success for both ourselves and the collective then we will
naturally fall back into alignment with our role as caretakers for life on this
planet. We will no longer reward that which conquers but instead
reward that which nurtures, heals and creates space for the fullest
actualization of life.
As I stated earlier, reconnecting to our collective purpose is a two-step
process. Redefining our societal definition of success is a good
place to start; it lays a foundation that can guide us through the changes that
we need to make both on an internal level and an external
level. However, change on any level requires a great deal of
courage. We need the strength to
dream big and the courage to step into those dreams with our greatest
gifts. The only way we can find that courage to dream big and
follow it up with action is by redefining our relationship with our own
fear.
For most of us fear is a paralyzing
force: it is an aspect of ourselves that keeps us from growing, it ties and
binds us to our comfort zones, those places inside which we cannot be hurt or
be vulnerable in. It tells us what we are not capable of, and what is not
possible. Fear is directly threatened by the prospect of change and
growth and it will stop at nothing to prevent such forward movement. When
an aspect of ourselves grows we realize there was nothing to be afraid of to
begin with and the fear connected to that aspect of self
dissipates. However, fear never really dies, it just shifts from
here to there, and it is up to us to realize that fear only has power when we
are afraid of it and in turn give it power.
To redefine our relationship
with fear, we must first accept it and accept that it is an integral part of
the human experience. No matter how much work on ourselves we
do, no matter how much therapy, meditation, yoga or prayer we engage in, we will
never rid ourselves completely of fear. However, where the choice
comes in is in choosing how we react to it. Are we going to allow our fear
to shut us down and prevent us from growing, or are we simply going to
recognize it and welcome it because its presence is an indicator that we are
pushing ourselves into uncharted territory? If how you are living
your life does not scare you a little bit, or a lot, then you are not living
your life in a way that promotes growth.
It is those dark unknown places
within that we are most scared to go into that we must access. We
must go there because it is in those places where true inspiration and growth
lie, it is in those voids that we touch creation and creation touches us. If we
are living from a place of openness, then we allow creation to come through us,
pulling us higher and higher towards our own evolution, our own highest
potential. It is from that place that we all must challenge ourselves to live right
now . . . because now the world needs openness more than ever.
So much of our society is asking us
to live in fear, to shut down and to disconnect. When we do that, we
shut ourselves off from growth, inspiration and our connection to
creation. The answers and ideas that will save us can only be found
through our ability to live in a state of fierce openness. When you
live from that place then you are automatically giving people the permission
and the inspiration to do the same, helping to move the collective that much
closer to our highest potential, one insight, one dream, and one step at a
time.
It is from this place of fierce
openness in ourselves, guided by the highest shared ideals and aspirations of
nurturing life and right relationship to ourselves, each other and to the Earth
that our path towards reconnecting to the Earth and Universe as caretakers
shall reveal itself. As MLK said, "faith is taking the first steps even when
you don't see the whole staircase." The more we walk down this new
path the more it shall reveal itself. We cannot wait for the path to
reveal itself entirely before moving forward; by then it will be too
late.
No matter what your work is, what
your passions are, no matter what aspect of society you involve yourself in,
you can bring these ideals to the table and by your actions encourage others to
do the same. Through these small steps, down a trail that we are blazing
together, war, environmental destruction, and oppression in all its forms will
no longer be rewarded or tolerated because they will no longer be in alignment
with who we are and who we want to become. Thusly, we will have
created a space for peace to flourish both within and without.
The Sacred Door Trail offers us an
opportunity to take the first important steps along the path toward reclaiming
our role as caretakers here on Earth. It
is a doorway into the essence of self from which the individual can move
through their own limiting fear and illusions of disconnect into a deeper space
within that holds our connection to the spirit of creation that lies in all
things. It is from this place of oneness
and openness, surrendering into the nurturing arms of Mother Earth that the
answers for a better tomorrow will come.
The time is now, we are the ones we
have been waiting for. Together, may we
walk through the sacred door of our future into a world of peace. May this be our gift to ourselves, may this
be our gift to our children, may this be our gift to the world.
For more information, click here.
Image by Elliott P., courtesy of Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pesut/
