Reflections from Bhutan on Sharing Sacred Ceremonies Before Colonization

I AM STILL REFLECTING ON MY PROFOUND AND HEARTFELT EXPERIENCE WITH THE WONDERFUL, YOUNG AND OLD PEOPLE, CULTURE, SPIRITUALITY, FRESH AIR AND PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT OF BHUTAN! ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND UNDERSTANDINGS THAT I AM STILL PROCESSING FROM BHUTAN AND THAILAND, IS THE ATTITUDES OF UN- COLONIZED MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY ABOUT SHARING THEIR SPIRITUALITY, CULTURE AND SACRED CEREMONIES WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY!

INSTEAD OF BEING FEARFUL OR EXCLUSIONARY IN SHARING THEIR SACRED CEREMONIES AND CULTURE WITH OTHERS, THEY ARE INCLUSIONARY AND VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT OTHERS LOVE AND RESPECT THEIR VERY BEAUTIFUL SPIRITUAL EXPRESSIONS ! THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CEREMONIES THAT THERE ARE NOT RESPECTFUL AND CLEAR PROTOCOLS TO BE FOLLOWED. THEY TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THEIR PROTOCOLS AND MEANINGS.WITH LOVE, KINDNESS AND PATIENCE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE SEEMS TO BE VERY DIFFERENT ATTITUDES, THAT MAY OCCUR ABOUT SHARING YOUR CULTURE, SPIRITUALITY AND SACRED CEREMONIES, IF YOU HAVE BEEN COLONIZED AND YOUR CULTURE, SPIRITUALITY AND SACRED CEREMONIES HAVE BEEN DEMONIZED,CRITICIZED, FORBIDDEN, DRIVEN UNDERGROUND, AND THOSE PARTICIPATING HAVE BEEN CHASTISED AND PUNISHED NOT ONLY FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE, CULTURE AND PARTICIPATION IN THEIR SACRED CEREMONIES. AS WELL, IN ADDITION, HAVING NEEDLES STUCK THROUGH YOUR TONGUE, FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME OR YOUR MOUTH WASHED OUT WITH SOAP FOR SPEAKING YOUR OWN MOTHER TONGUE, AS HAPPENED IN ABORIGINAL AND INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS!

WHAT WOULD OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES BE LIKE IF WE WERE NOT COLONIZED AND GENERATIONS OF OUR CHILDREN NOT FORCEFULLY PUT IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS OR OTHER COLONIZING

INSTITUTIONS?

THE PLACE, IT SEEMS TO ME, THAT WE NEED TO RETURN TO IS HOW WE FELT ABOUT OUR SPIRITUALITY, CULTURE AND SACRED CEREMONIES BEFORE COLONIZATION. I AM STILL REFLECTING ON ALL OF THIS, BUT THIS IS WHERE MY HEART AND DRAFT THINKING IS RIGHT NOW!

OTHER COMMENTS, INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ARE WARMLY INVITED!

Warm Love and Greetings,

Brother Phil

Buddhist monks in maroon robes chant and play a large drum beside long horns in a shrine room hung with thangkas, as an elder in a feather headdress sits watching.

An elder in a full feather headdress holding a beaded bag sits beside a senior Buddhist lama in sunglasses, with young monks around an altar of offerings.

Buddhist monks in maroon and red robes play long horns and a large painted drum during a ceremony in a wooden shrine room hung with thangka paintings.

Two smiling elders stand arm in arm indoors, one in a dark striped Bhutanese robe, the other in a patterned ribbon shirt holding a striped blanket and a feather fan.