Visit to a Native American Sweat Lodge - Essay Example

of the Religion and Theology of the Teacher 8 April Visit to a Native American Sweat Lodge: Reflection There is no denying the fact that the visit to a Native American sweat lodge, located in Oklahoma, near the small city of Shawnee, happened to be a really moving experience for me. I was utterly moved by the rich meaning and symbolism that marked the entire sweat ritual. In that context, the sweat ritual I attended opened my eyes to a new way of seeing and relating to nature. It indeed enhanced my capacity for appreciating the healing powers inherent in the natural world and increased my respect for the Native American traditions and values. In retrospect, I feel really proud that I got a chance to be the part of such an intimate and sacred religious experience. Though I lacked a deep understanding of the Native American theology and religious beliefs, still the sweat lodge experience left me feeling cleansed and refreshed. To begin with, before I actually experienced the sweat lodge ritual, I felt a bit anxious and curious. I was really eager to be a part of a religious experience that is so important to the Native American culture. Yet, I also felt anxious and a bit afraid, doubting my ability to understand the larger meaning and relevance of a Native American sweat lodge ceremony. Irrespective of this, I decide to approach the whole experience with an open mind and to restrain myself from being judgmental of a theological tradition that was new to me. I am glad to say that I did not comes across any major hurdles in being a part of the sweat lodge ritual I attended. I realized that the theology marking the sweat lodge ritual happened to be profound, yet easy to grasp and relate to. I found that the people who belonged to the Native American tradition or those had attended a sweat lodge ceremony before had taken great care to prepare them self for this ceremony. Eager to know more about it, I questioned some of them as to how they prepared them self for the sweat lodge ceremony. I found out that they had resorted to fasting, prayer sessions and some cleansing rituals to prepare themselves well in advance. It was really moving to find out the sense of reverence and respect with which these individuals prepared them self for the sweat lodge ceremony. It clearly showed the kind of spiritual importance and relevance they associated with this ceremony. So I decided to pray with these people, to be able to relate to the whole experience with a sense of reverence and solemnity. The attitude of many of my partners there amply conveyed to me the fact that I was going to be a part of something really deep and sacred. I must say that the whole ceremony had a formal ritualistic side to it. The things and props used in the ceremony happened to have a deep symbolic meaning and significance. For instance the sweat lodge itself, in which the most important parts of the ceremony were performed, represented the womb of the Mother Nature. I must say that once the sweat ceremony began, I really felt like I was inside a dark, moist and warm womb like thing. Though I felt a bit uncomfortable in the sweat, still, overall the things were tolerable. I almost felt that I had been placed inside this womb to be able to do away with the toxic and negative aspects of my existence, and to make a new beginning. The cedar twigs and other vegetation lining the floor and the roof of the lodge further accentuated the experience of being a part of nature. I was also smudged with smoke emanating from some smoldering herbs, which was fanned over my body with the eagle feathers. I learnt that the purpose of this smudging was to cleanse the body by using the healing powers of nature. The eagle feathers symbolized the capacity of the human spirit to get over its limitations and rise to a higher meaning and significance. The thing that I found most amazing was that the stones that were heated in the ceremonial fire and were later placed inside the pit in the sweat lodge were referred to as grandfathers and grandmothers. I found it a bit strange and confusing. However, later I learnt that the stones were called grandfathers and grandmothers because they happened to be almost as old as the universe. As per the Native American theology, everything has a spirit, including stones. So the stones used in the ceremony happened to be witnesses to the ancient traditions and history. The act of heating them in the ceremonial fire awakened their healing spirit. The water poured over those red hot stones absorbed their healing power and carried it to the people attending the ceremony in the form of steam. The water also symbolized the fluidity and flow of life. It was indeed humbling to know the respect and relevance that the Native American theology extended to all the elements of nature. The sweating inside the lodge not only represented physical cleansing, but also symbolized the cleansing of the mind and the spirit. I was also impressed to learn that the people attending the ceremony entered the lodge in a clockwise direction, out of respect for the cycles of nature. Never before in my life had I felt so close to an intimate with nature, as I felt in this ceremony. This experience was indeed intensely spiritual and moving. I eagerly look forward to being a part of a sweat lodge ceremony in the future also. Though, the reverence for the elements of nature and the use of male and female symbols to signify varied aspects of nature is also common to many other ancient religions like Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity. Still, I personally felt that in no other religion I have studied, there is such a ceremony that is so intricately associated with and related to the healing powers of nature. The thing that I found most meaningful in the sweat lodge ceremony I attended was that it had an undeniable community facet. This ceremony instead of being individualistic in its approach rather relied for healing and spiritual awakening on the collective efforts of the people attending the ceremony. All the people sitting inside the lodge prayed together for healing and spiritual awakening. I indeed believe that the last round of the sweat lodge ceremony happened to be most meaningful. In this round people loudly shared their feelings, beliefs and experiences with the rest of the group. The very experience of being accompanied by like minded people in such an intimate and deep spiritual ceremony was certainly healing and therapeutic in its scope. I feel that this also strengthened the bonds between the people attending a sweat lodge ceremony and gave way to an atmosphere of trust and support. I found this aspect of the sweat lodge ceremony quiet interesting and convincing. This experience allowed me to recognize the fact that I was inseparable from the rest of the humanity and the larger aspects of nature. I must say that the apprehension and anxiety that I felt at the start of the sweat lodge ceremony, eventually gave way to a moving and meaningful experience. The lessons I learnt from this ceremony were profound and of universal relevance. It helped me appreciate the fact that each and every religion in this world happens to be a repository of timeless wisdom and universal human values. Read More