Straight to the Heart of the Matter

by Barbara Woolley

The time that has been predicted for thousands of years has come to pass. The prophecies of the Mayans, the Hopi, the Tibetans, The Book of Revelations, Nostradamus, Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, and many others from a myriad of indigenous and non-indigenous traditions, have pointed to the chain of events that have begun to unfold. That the prophecies present such a consistent picture, regardless of what corner of the world they come from, is enough to catch one's attention. In each instance, a very clear statement has been made about the choices humanity has to make. These choices affect outcome, not only for the individual souls involved, but also for the world at large. The crux of the matter is how we, as individuals, and as a world community, decide to live. What are our priorities? How willing are we to focus our efforts for the well-being and preservation of the larger whole? How willing are we to do the work that is required to be fully in integrity? How willing are we to stand in absolute truth? How willing are we to take full responsibility for our thoughts, words, and deeds? The underlying principle is that all-absolutely everything-is connected. Therefore, everything we think, feel, say and do has an impact on the larger whole.

The following two stories go straight to the heart of the matter. They are stories about integrity and right action. Both stories come from indigenous elders. The first story was told by a Zapotec elder named Enrique, whom I met in 1992 in a tiny village south of Oaxaca, Mexico. The second story came from a group of Piaroa shamans whom I met in June 2001 in the Amazon region of Venezuela.

Enrique

Enrique appeared to be in his late sixties. Intense, lean, and wiry, he was passionate in telling the story of his life. He was not ashamed to cry as he talked about the hard lessons he had during his lifetime. By the age of eight he was orphaned and living with his mother's parents. A relative told him of the devious means by which his grandfather intended to take his inheritance from him. Enrique, smart at such a young age, took the important papers documenting his inheritance and buried them in a safe place. Then he ran away to live on the streets and in the marketplace of a larger city some distance away. There he remained until the age of fourteen, at which time he decided to return to claim what was rightfully his. More treachery awaited him. Not only was the grandfather a scoundrel, but other members of the family were as well, including the uncle who gave the warning to him six years earlier. They conspired together, trumped up false charges, and had him put in jail. Eventually, it was clear that Enrique had done nothing wrong, so he was freed. Through hard, persistent work and determination, he developed the land that had been passed down through his father's family for generations.

Enrique took our small group on a long hike to view his land. We were gone for hours with him. Along the way he asked many questions about the meaning of life. He asked what our thoughts were about heaven and earth, about what happens to a person when they pass through death. He specifically wanted to know where we thought the soul would go. Did we think that how one lived one's life made a difference as to which section of heaven one went to in his afterlife?

When we got to his fields, we saw lush, green, healthy, vibrant crops. Thousands of grasshoppers were jumping everywhere. Asked if he used insecticides to control the grasshoppers, Enrique was shocked. He talked about how that would hurt the Earth and how the grasshoppers were not a problem because, after all, "they only eat just a little bit." Then he pointed to the acreage next to his. The crops were puny, shriveled, listless. One row away, the corn, squash and beans were so very different from his beautiful crops. These withered plants were the crops of the uncle who had plotted with the other relatives to wrest the land from Enrique. No words were necessary, for the point was visibly clear. We reap what we sow.

In spite of the unfortunate circumstances of his childhood, Enrique had made certain deliberate choices. He could have been bitter and resentful. Though very poor by American standards, he was most wealthy indeed. He lived his life in accordance with the ancient knowledge of the interconnectedness of all life. He really considered himself not an owner of the land, but rather a caretaker of the Earth. He made the choice to live in harmony and integrity. Recognized within in his community as a man of honor, Enrique was chosen to be a deacon in his church. His crops and marital family thrived, and his heart was as pure as the tears that so freely flowed down his cheeks.

The Piaroa Shamans

From the beginning of our journey to visit with the Piaroa people, who live in the Amazon region of Venezuela, we began to hear bits and pieces of an astounding incident that occurred while a group of shamans from several tribes were visiting and working in Canada two years ago. It was as though each shaman with whom we spoke inlaid parts of the story which was then told in full by a most powerful shaman with whom we spent the night.

Twenty-four shamans had been invited to Canada to demonstrate their healing abilities. When they arrived, they were presented with the most daunting of healing dilemmas. Brought before them were the hopeless cases-people deemed criminally insane, bizarre murderers, people with heretofore untreatable physical conditions. Modern medicine had proven completely ineffective with these patients. Nonetheless, the shamans agreed to work in spite of the extreme challenge.

The Piaroa worked in teams. They knew the potential for serious repercussions when working with such difficult situations without assistance. Consequently, collaboration was a given. Matters of ego and pride were a non-issue. With the support and expertise of one another, unfortunate difficulties could be avoided. Their assistance was offered to shamans from other tribes as well. Unfortunately, a shaman from one of the other tribes refused their offer of support while he worked with a gravely ill woman. Shortly after this shaman began his healing work with her, he began to hemorrhage. The hemorrhaging was so severe, so rapid, that he died before anyone could help him.

Jose Luis, the Piaroa shaman with whom we spent the night, told us the rest of the incredible story. Jose Luis purposefully induced himself into a deep state of trance using his medicine ways to find out what had happened to cause the shaman's death. In this profound state of expanded awareness, he saw the face of a Canadian shaman who had worked black magic from a distance, deliberately causing the death of the shaman. And he was able to see the house in which this magician lived. The next day, the shamans pursued the black magician with the information that had been revealed to Jose Luis, even though they had never before been in Canada. They found the magician at his home and were able to convince him to return to the site where the death had taken place. They worked with him in their medicine ways for a long time. The Canadian admitted what he had done. Then, through the healing ways of the Venezuelan shamans, and with his express permission, he was cleared of the darkness within which influenced him to perpetrate the black magic. He was forgiven, and they all became friends.

So many wonderful lessons are in these stories. In both instances, the tellers could have chosen to reciprocate in a retaliatory manner. The significance of Enrique's story stands on its own. In the case of the shamans, they could have perpetrated a similar crime with the esoteric knowledge that they possess. Yet, they chose to use their knowledge for the highest good. This was a situation that could never have been taken before a Canadian court of law. Who would have understood the truth of what had occurred? The Piaroa enacted justice with integrity through their capability of seeing the divine spark within the Canadian shaman. They were concerned about going to the root of the problem, which was how his soul had come to be so compromised. Because of their comprehensive knowledge of spiritual laws and the spiritual realms, they were able to effect a true healing.

Anyone who has experienced Enrique, Jose Luis, the other shamans, and the other citizens of this world who are like them, are beneficiaries of their higher consciousness. The positive manner in which they conduct their lives is inspiring. They have an innate understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect. They understand the Law of Reciprocity. They understand the undeniable, unavoidable relationship we have with one another and with all living things. They understand that what we do has an effect on future generations, on the Earth, on our soul evolution. And they understand, clearly, that as humans we have the power to affect change. The question is, in what manner would we choose to make change? And, how do we use our power?

For thousands of years, humankind has gone about trampling out, to the best of its ability, the sacred knowledge that can save us from ourselves. Fortunately, this attempt to annihilate has not been 100% successful. But for the most part, humanity has functioned like someone trying to negotiate without legs. There's a feeling, a sensation of some kind, a sense that something is missing, just like an amputee experiences a missing limb. But in humanity's case, the limb is not missing, it's sealed over, concealed, feared, buried deep within. Why wouldn't it be with all the pogroms, massacres, and burnings at the stake? Our Spirit, the Creation essence that each of us is-who we are without the outer wrappings-is eagerly waiting to step forward to lead the way into a new time of peace, abundance and harmonious coexistence. What is required is a leap of faith, and the embracing, rather than the fearing, of the changes that are guaranteed to take place if we choose to ignite our spiritual body. With the state of affairs we are currently confronting in the world today, what do we have to lose by taking the leap of faith? The prophecies are not contrived; they come from a source of universal truth to urge us to reconsider our misconstrued sense of priorities.

We really do know what to do; we really do know how to be. It's simply a matter, like Enrique and Jose Luis, of rising to the occasion to be the best that we can be in each and every moment. Then the ripples are sent forth which create the momentum for unstoppable change.

Barbara Woolley has blended years of experience in the healing arts of psychotherapy, indigenous medicine ways, and other esoteric healing methods. A world traveler, she has many stories to share from her spiritual adventures. You may contact Barbara for workshops or healing sessions at 919-245-1999.