Thread: I am a shaman

Originally Posted by b12

Would you impart sacred knowledge so freely? If I typed to you the words, you would hardly understand. It's not yet time for you, yet the simple knowledge that the subject exists will in time give you understanding. The words are just words, yet the implications are both challenging and life-changing.

I am curious now. Let us hear it, please.

I am making way too many references to this experience of mine, but when I was in South America, I have spent time with a member of the Krishna Consciousness. This person made sure she said "Hare Krishna" to everyone she met (in subtle ways). The reason is those words purify people from Karma. She wasn't converting people at all, actually, she sort of kept it secret because she didn't want to get people's prejudice but she found subtle ways to cleanse other people. The person didn't need to know what "Hare Krishna" meant.

In the same way, it would be nice if you could say the words, not so we may understand them necessarily but so they may purify us in a way.

I think my story is relevant, because this particular person I'm talking about went to a jungle shaman (Everyone knows about the amazonian shamans!) not too far from where we were and the shaman said she didn't need his hallucinogenic drink because she was above that (spiritually speaking), she could see ghosts and auras.

Anyways, I am curious to here what that shaman had to say, what was your question. It can only do good. And you've already mentioned the story. The value of it won't be diminished from being shared. It will only grow.

When a bee pollinates a flower, who knows if any new plant will blossom from it, but it's the only way it will ever happen.

Besides, you told your friends, and I would be impressed that three users of drugs would be the only people at a high enough level of wisdom to understand this, and not us, which have lots of hallucinogenic experience (That is, dreams). Besides, my understanding of Shamanic practice is that drugs are only a facilitating tool that wouldn't even need to be used by someone who is in great relationship with nature and whatever is beyond, ex. Sivason.

Originally Posted by Denziloe

If it was intensely personal I don't see how it makes sense to... tell everybody about it.

It's pretty straight forward - he briefly mentioned an experience he had that was somewhat related to the topic, but didn't go into any more detail than was necessary. No need to try and poke and prod it.

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

I am making way too many references to this experience of mine, but when I was in South America, I have spent time with a member of the Krishna Consciousness. This person made sure she said "Hare Krishna" to everyone she met (in subtle ways). The reason is those words purify people from Karma. She wasn't converting people at all, actually, she sort of kept it secret because she didn't want to get people's prejudice but she found subtle ways to cleanse other people. The person didn't need to know what "Hare Krishna" meant.

I know I'm going off on a tangent, but I can't stand people that confuse their hippy-isms with spirituality. eg. people who convert to Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. because they think those religions will make them "more enlightened." A monk in meditation is no more profound than a bible-thumper at mass or a professor in a lecture hall.

Originally Posted by GavinGill

I know I'm going off on a tangent, but I can't stand people that confuse their hippy-isms with spirituality. eg. people who convert to Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. because they think those religions will make them "more enlightened." A monk in meditation is no more profound than a bible-thumper at mass or a professor in a lecture hall.

Well, those thoughts are kind of amusing in a weird angle.

In defense to my friend OR. I wouldn't take it too seriously

GavinGill, I will answer your comment. I am not sure I completely understood it so I will respond to it in different ways so that one of my answers will be relevant.

Originally Posted by GavinGill

I can't stand people that confuse their hippy-isms with spirituality.

It's hard for me to understand this one sentence because neither the Krishna Consciousness member or I were being hippies. I was volunteering and had 2 "Spanish" classes per week with different teachers. We talked about culture, religion, and politics. It was very fun talking to all these people with different perspectives. One of them was a Jehova's Witness and it was a lot more fun talking to her than people say it is. My teacher who was an Hare Krishna member just talked to me about her own faith and I asked if I could go with her to the temple (after we had talked about these subjects for many hours) because I had never been to such a religious event.

I am saying this because there is a huge "hippie" traveler culture in South America, and not that I have anything against them, I did not happen to interact with them.

Originally Posted by GavinGill

Eg. people who convert to Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. because they think those religions will make them "more enlightened." A monk in meditation is no more profound than a bible-thumper at mass or a professor in a lecture hall.

This makes a lot more sense! I definitely see what you mean in this sentence. Personally, I don't see what is wrong with it, though. Let me explain.

If you're saying my teacher was looking to Krishna Consciousness for enlightenment, well, why not? She was raised in a Mormon family. Her family was very religious. However back in that time (20 years ago), there was a lot of violence, you would hear explosions in the night, there would be black-outs and gun fire and you couldn't talk about politics to your university profs because a lot of them were part of violent organizations and you could be hurt. Anyways, because of all the violence, and because she did see auras and ghosts and stuff, she just didn't identify with her family religion. She turned to another catholic branch religion. It didn't work for her. In the end, she found the Krishna Consciousness, and that specific religion succeeded in explaining the things that she didn't understand about her life and give her a proper spiritual blooming.

I think it's perfect for people to reach out for Hinduism or Buddhism because they relate better to that. But like you said, there is as much value in a catholic or secular life. Personally, I am attracted by Eastern beliefs. It hasn't prevented me to learn a lot from many different religions and secular school of thoughts.


If However, you are saying that you don't agree that I would bring religious spirituality in the topic of shamanism, well, I don't know, I think shamanism very well fits in the religious spirituality topic. And the reason I brought Krishna Consciousness in the topic is not that I think that it is superior, I am not a member of it, there was just something that I thought was relevant, that is, you don't need to succeed at explaining something to someone, only exposing them to it is valuable.

(I have done catholic-sorcery stuff too in South America. I prayed to a mommy and watched until my candles burned out for my spells to be cast (all good ones). That was my Jehovah Witness teacher that brought me in that secret invitation only place. I'm just saying this because I thought it was very cool, and yes Catholics can be even more mystical than eastern religion believers sometimes).

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

GavinGill, I will answer your comment. I am not sure I completely understood it so I will respond to it in different ways so that one of my answers will be relevant.



It's hard for me to understand this one sentence because neither the Krishna Consciousness member or I were being hippies. I was volunteering and had 2 "Spanish" classes per week with different teachers. We talked about culture, religion, and politics. It was very fun talking to all these people with different perspectives. One of them was a Jehova's Witness and it was a lot more fun talking to her than people say it is. My teacher who was an Hare Krishna member just talked to me about her own faith and I asked if I could go with her to the temple (after we had talked about these subjects for many hours) because I had never been to such a religious event.

I am saying this because there is a huge "hippie" traveler culture in South America, and not that I have anything against them, I did not happen to interact with them.



This makes a lot more sense! I definitely see what you mean in this sentence. Personally, I don't see what is wrong with it, though. Let me explain.

If you're saying my teacher was looking to Krishna Consciousness for enlightenment, well, why not? She was raised in a Mormon family. Her family was very religious. However back in that time (20 years ago), there was a lot of violence, you would hear explosions in the night, there would be black-outs and gun fire and you couldn't talk about politics to your university profs because a lot of them were part of violent organizations and you could be hurt. Anyways, because of all the violence, and because she did see auras and ghosts and stuff, she just didn't identify with her family religion. She turned to another catholic branch religion. It didn't work for her. In the end, she found the Krishna Consciousness, and that specific religion succeeded in explaining the things that she didn't understand about her life and give her a proper spiritual blooming.

I think it's perfect for people to reach out for Hinduism or Buddhism because they relate better to that. But like you said, there is as much value in a catholic or secular life. Personally, I am attracted by Eastern beliefs. It hasn't prevented me to learn a lot from many different religions and secular school of thoughts.


If However, you are saying that you don't agree that I would bring religious spirituality in the topic of shamanism, well, I don't know, I think shamanism very well fits in the religious spirituality topic. And the reason I brought Krishna Consciousness in the topic is not that I think that it is superior, I am not a member of it, there was just something that I thought was relevant, that is, you don't need to succeed at explaining something to someone, only exposing them to it is valuable.

(I have done catholic-sorcery stuff too in South America. I prayed to a mommy and watched until my candles burned out for my spells to be cast (all good ones). That was my Jehovah Witness teacher that brought me in that secret invitation only place. I'm just saying this because I thought it was very cool, and yes Catholics can be even more mystical than eastern religion believers sometimes).

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so vague...

I wasn't knocking you or your friend, your post just reminded me of a certain kind of person that I find annoying. I live close to Vancouver and the city's full of suburban (usually White) folks who think they'll magically become enlightened by adopting some Eastern faith (typically Hinduism or Buddhism), growing dreadlocks, talking about attaining "nirvana" (or at least their half-ass conception of it), and basically living their lives as if they were cartoons. It's as if they see themselves as being on top of the "spiritual hierarchy" because they did some reading on Lao Tzu and "raised their consciousness" by reciting a few "Hare Krishna's" in the morning. It's nothing more than modern-day orientalism. Hippes that think they're sages.