On this 365 day personal writing journey, creating posts in a series has worked well for me. When writing from the foundation of a series, finding topics appears a bit easier. Today marks the beginning of another series that I hope you will enjoy.
The Lakota are are humble and wise people with a rich history. I study various Native American nations from time to time and very often find myself challenged by the wisdom of their heritage. Recently, I was reminded of the Lakota Code of Ethics. As I read through them again, I decided that their Code of Ethics bears highlighting, especially now. The times in which we live are fraught with discord, disharmony and dishonor. Perhaps a small number will read the next 20 posts and take the wisdom of the Lakota to heart. I believe as we do, we have a chance to carve out places of peace and harmony. And who couldn’t use a little peace and harmony right about now?
The first of the Lakota Code goes like this: “Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.”
I know that many religions encourage prayer to God. Very often, certain rituals accompany the call to prayer. Depending on your religious beliefs or spiritual orientation, prayers are to be offered in accordance within specific parameters meant to demonstrate deference, offer supplication or present requests. Sometimes the instructions and expectations can become burdensome. That is one of the reasons I like the simplicity and purity of this first Code of the Lakota.
It outlines five specific actions that make up prayer. They are as follows:
- Rise with the sun to pray – Setting an intention for the day is best completed early, before you find yourself rushing through it. Many times we rise early to run or eat breakfast or watch the news or read Face Book! (;-) Sometimes we even pause to meditate; however, the Lakota encourage us to Rise with the Sun to pray. There is something about the early hours, those moments before the sun peaks over the eastern horizon, that hold promise available at no other time of the day. The best intention setting takes place when the sun rises because it symbolizes the possibilities of the day before us.
- Pray Alone – As much as some places of worship encourage community in prayer, the Lakota encourage solitude – especially at the beginning of the day. Prayer, after all, is a purposeful conversation between you and God (whatever your conception of God may be). It is in solitude that we have the chance to truly touch and be touched by the Great Spirit.
- Pray Often – In my way of thinking, this admonition is one that acknowledges the Omnipresence of the Great Spirit. When we understand this reality, praying without ceasing becomes a powerful possibility. Now, praying often does not require us to walk around with closed eyes, bumping into people, trees and buildings! No, praying often is an encouragement to remain diligent about serving as a conduit for the love and peace that come from an attitude of prayer.
- The Great Spirit Will Listen – What this says to me is that the prayers, the thoughts, the words, the feelings I have are of great importance to the Great Spirit! I am not a worm or an entity of insignificance. I am a creation imbued with a spirit akin to that of the Great Spirit to whom I pray. I believe that in this exchange, I hear myself and my supplications filtered through the wisdom of the Great Spirit. When filtered in this manner, I discover the appropriateness of my prayers (and often, the inappropriateness as well).
- If You Only Speak – This part of the first of the Lakota Code of Ethics requires that I engage my voice. My voice, lifted in prayer, submitted with honesty, filtered through the Greater Spirit, delivered in humility may be lived with certainty . . . simply because I speak.
So today and every day, rise with the sun, open your heart, speak your mind, receive your focus and live with intention.
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
