The philosophy of life

On our wedding night, my husband and I took a walk through our local Barnes & Noble bookstore while waiting for our movie to begin at a nearby theater. While there, we browsed through their audio and visual media, made our purchases and prepared to leave. While weaving our way through the philosophy section, a small book caught my eye and I was compelled to buy it. The book is entitled, "Essentials of Philosophy," by James Mannion. Mannion's book discusses the basic concepts of the many tenets that influence peoples' lives. It has been several years since I took a philosophy course, and I was feeling a bit rusty at this higher level of thinking (it's amazing what you forget when you don't utilize any given subject for a long while). I have been craving this kind of mental stimulation, so I felt my new book would, at least, get the wheels turning again without sending my brain into a tizzy.

I've always kept an open mind regarding the various philosophical/religious ideologies that exist in our world, and I can often understand the logic behind most of these theories. This makes it difficult for me to feel a sense of identity to any one dogma. While my beliefs are Christian-based, I'm too open-minded to embrace the Bible completely. Some of my personal beliefs fly in the face of what I've been taught in church and by my family. I believe that the Bible is just one piece of a huge puzzle that explains the true meaning of life and afterlife. I also feel that no one belief has all of the answers to the universe; there is always some aspect to be questioned. However, upon browsing through my new philosophy book, one line of thinking stood out more than the others. The Native Americans have always had a very close relationship with Mother Earth and they have understood that the relationship between earth and all living things is symbiotic. To me, this tenet makes a lot of sense to me.

Mannion offers a very good summary of the Native American belief system: "Everything is connected, and humans are just one small part of the cosmic Big Picture. Like Heraclitus, the Indians believe that the cycle of life is one of constant change, but not chaotic or meaningless change. Everything is happening for a purpose, even if we do not understand what that purpose may be. People have a body and a spirit, and there is a spiritual world that is as real as the world we see and experience with our five senses.

We are here on this earth to learn. The optimum conditions for learning require a balance of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our nature. We will be given help from the spirits if we ask for it. Achieving your maximum human potential is where it's at, and the only real sin against God is failure to use whatever gifts God has given you for your own good and the good of the community."

In the Native American philosophy, there is only one God regardless of your religion. Mannion states: "They believe that just as your are what you eat, you are what God made you. [...]You are not stained with Original Sin, you are not inherently wicked (after all, God made you), and therefore you do not need a savior to redeem you." Additionally, in the idea of the Medicine Wheel, Mannion makes some reference to Carl Jung's concept of individuation, which integrates the various aspects of one's body, mind, and spirit to bring about inner harmony. In the Medicine Wheel, there are four spokes, which represent the four directions of the earth: north, south, east, west. Each of these directions is assigned a color and an animal that possesses qualities associated with the direction. To me, these directions also represent the key components of human nature, as well as the stages of life that each of us will go through.

In his description of Native American philosphy, Mannion mentions a work entitled, "Black Elk Speaks," which is based upon conversations between a Sioux Indian named Black Elk and poet John G. Neihardt. Through Black Elk, Neihardt learns about the Native Americans' perspective on life and their dealings with the white, Anglo-American people who have taken over the lands they once called home and destroyed their more austere way of life. I have yet to read this work, but I when I get a chance, I will. I want to learn more.