I haven’t used the word “God” in years – on purpose. I find it too limiting, too human. Long ago I moved to phrases like “All-That-Is” and “Universal Mind.” But recently I have come across a phrase that for me says it all: “Originating Mystery.”
Rumi says, “Live in the nowhere that you came from even though you have an address here.”
“Nowhere that I came from” works for me too.
I want a word that takes me from my human limitations, a word that’s empty of an identifiable meaning.
Then I remembered the words “Wakan Tanka” which I had heard years ago in a CD of native American flute music by Carlos Castaneda. I looked it up.
“To the Lakota, those which made everything are Wakan Tanka. Though wakan have separate meanings unto them selves, Wakan Tanka can be loosely interpreted as “wakan” as “mystery” and “tanka” as “something great.” And being the “creators,” the Wakan Tanka also are Wakanpi, those things above mankind. They are never born and they never die.”
Wakan Tanka. In everything. Of everything. All there is.
That frees me of the limitation caused by my interpretation of a word in my physical-plane language.
Wakan Tanka deepens our connection.
If Waken Tanka is the Originating Mystery, the All That Is, the Tao, it is “It”. It’s us. It’s you. It’s me. It’s every element of nature. It’s everything we know.
That makes me want to treat it with respect and reverence.
All is within you
I have never gone outside myself for help. I never prayed for help or asked for help from any outside anything. If the Waken Tanka, the Originating Mystery, is all there is, then that’s all there is. That’s you. That’s me. That’s our world. That’s our life. And we have to use what we’ve been given to create the most productive and rewarding experience we can.
Not outside but inside. The change comes from within. The choices come from within and those choices lead to the results we get.
So the world is a mess and if I am all that is, that’s coming from me, right?
Yes. And that’s a tough one to accept with all the chaos. But all change begins within. So yes, it is up to each of us to do the inner work that has the power to manifest as change.
That’s a big responsibility. But remember, you are made up of Wakan Tanka, the Originating Mystery. You can do this.
Be aware of all you think and do. Make certain your thoughts and beliefs are full of inclusion and empathy.
Make choices for the greater good. Yes, we are responsible for ourselves, but some choices we make can benefit more than just us. Remember Wakan Tanka; we are all the same originating stuff.
Connect with nature. There’s much guidance and wisdom to be garnered by tuning into the cycles of nature, the power of nature, the messages of nature. Listen. You will hear.
Journey. Go within and let yourself go. See where it takes you. See what shows up. Whether you think it’s your imagination or a spirit guide, just go exploring in your inner world. There’s both wisdom and guidance to be found there.
Join your focused energy with others online who desire the same results. There’s great power in the concentration of focused energy toward one outcome.
Question your beliefs, especially your spiritual beliefs. If you’ve been brought up in a structured religion, I invite you to pick and choose from multiple spiritual expressions and create a spiritual practice that resonates with you and nurtures you.
My travels have included Christianity, metaphysics, New Thought, holistic energy work, Taoism, and Shamanism. My spiritual life today is an eclectic mixture of elements from each into my life that continue to deepen in meaning and in connection to Wakan Tanka, the Originating Mystery.
Go exploring. There’s a great deal you can learn. Then get to work to change the world.
To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:
Abracadabra! I Will Create As I Speak
Return to the Simplicity of the Uncarved Block
We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
VLOG: Insights of a Deeper Song
PODCAST: Reflections of a Deeper Song
