Elder's Meditation -- Spiritual Values

When we are aligned with spiritual values, we cannot be in fear or conflict.
When we are aligned to spiritual values, we have the Creator whispering solutions in our ears.
Unity is one of the spiritual values.
When we value unity we value solutions.
If we think this way, then we have no conflict within ourselves.

Great Spirit, let me see through Your eyes.

Elder's Meditation -- One Day At A Time

It's not an accident that firewater is also called spirits.
Firewater affects our judgments.
The Great Spirit created a set of laws and principles by which we are to live our lives.
When we have problems we should pray and ask for the wisdom of these laws.
If instead we turn to liquor, our judgement will be affected.
It is the decision and choice made under the influence of booze that causes us to be fools.
We need to learn to lean on prayer and not on the spirits of alcohol.

Great Spirit, teach me to pray.

Let not one drop of liquor touch my lips today.

Elder's Meditation -- A Giving Person

The Great Spirit created a system of balance and justice.
This law says, if you treat others with respect,
you will be treated with respect.
If you gossip about no one,
no one will gossip about you.
If you are fair in all of your dealings,
you can expect the same.
If you share with others,
others, will share with you.
If you judge others,
others will judge you.
You will always get back what you give out.
The original teaching talks about being a giving person.
A giving person will constantly be on the receiving end.

My Creator, help me to be a giving person today.

Elder's Meditation -- A Warrior's Song

Everything on the earth has a purpose and a reason for its existence.
Every human being is a warrior and every warrior has a song written in his/her heart and that song must be sung or the soul forever remains restless.
This song is always about serving the Great Spirit and helping the people.
This song is always sung for the people.
Many times I need to learn much about the difficulties of life.
I need to know this, so I must experience it.
Then I can be of use to the people.
Because I am experiencing difficulty does not mean I have left the path or that I have done something wrong.
It means I'm doing the will of the Great Spirit during these times of testing.
I need to pray constantly to keep a good attitude.

Great Spirit, this I know - You will never leave me,

only my doubting makes it seem like You do.

This I know - Your love is always dependable,

only my doubting makes it seem like You do.

Today remove the doubts from my belief system and

allow me to stand straight and see You with straight eyes.

Elder's Meditation -- Dwellings

In my mind are many dwellings.
Each of the dwellings we create ourselves -
the house of anger,
the house of despair,
the house of self pity,
the house of indifference,
the house of negative,
the house of positive,
the house of hope,
the house of joy,
the house of peace,
the house of enthusiasm,
the house of cooperation,
the house of giving.
Each of these houses we visit each day.
We can stay in any house for as long as we want.
We can leave these mental houses any time we wish.
We create the dwelling, we stay in the dwelling, we leave the dwelling whenever we wish.
We can create new rooms, new houses.
Whenever we enter these dwellings, this becomes our world until we leave for another.
What world will we live in today?

Creator, no one can determine which dwelling I choose to enter.
No one has the power to do so, only me.
Let me choose wisely today.

Elder's Meditation -- The Teacher

Nature is a living example of how communities live in harmony. I
f you go into the forest or mountain and sit still and watch, ask yourself, what lessons are being taught?
Then watch how the animals conduct themselves.
The trees could represent diversity.
The flowers could represent people.
Notice how everything in nature assists one another.
See how balance works.
See how conflict is handled.
Can you see acts of forgiveness?
Can you spot respect?
Nature is full of wisdom if wee will only consider her to be our teacher.

My Creator, today let me learn from nature.

Elder's Meditation -- The Inside

All permanent and lasting change starts first on the inside and works its way out.
Having constant prayer and Creator directed visions helps us to live in harmony.
This is the best way to grow strong and become a Warrior.
No matter what is going on outside of ourselves, it is our projection that makes it so.
It is our projections that even give it any meaning.
Another way is each day to turn our life and our will over to the care of the Great Spirit.
Then He will show us His desire for us.
When we are in alignment to His desire, we become very joyful and very happy.

Oh Great Spirit, You take care of me today and

tell me what I can do for You today.

Give me the discipline to talk to You

whenever I am in doubt or fear.

Let me come to You if I get irritated.

You are my solution.

Elder's Meditation -- Sacrifice and Suffering

People sometimes have a misconception of sacrifice.
This is a strong word for Indian people.
On the other side of sacrifice is another whole world.
During sacrifice, our beliefs are tested.
We may all have good beliefs but if you test a good belief, then you get real beliefs.
Real beliefs make new people; real beliefs make new self images.
Real beliefs allow determination and desires and faith to come true.
Good is always available to us but we often can't bring it within until we let go of the old ways.
We let go of the old ways by suffering.
Suffering is only letting go of things that don't work anymore.
On the other side of suffering is a new world.

Creator, help me to let go of old ways.

Let my old thoughts and beliefs be abandoned.

Every change is preceded by struggle.

Help me go through the struggle today.

Elder's Meditation -- Choices

My life is run by choices and decisions.
Every choice I make today will carry with it the consequences of that choice.
Every decision I make today will carry with it the consequences of that decision.
The question I will ask myself today is, "Do I want to be happy or do I want to be right?"
Which ever one I choose will have a lot to do with the consequences I will experience today.
If today was the last day of my life, what choices and what decisions would I make?

Oh Great Spirit, guide my path today and

help me see the value of choosing the Red Road.

Elder's Meditation -- Spiritual Change

Only through prayer can we make spiritual changes that are permanent.
You have told us that all life is sacred.
Today I intend to serve you, my Creator.
Allow me to overcome temptation, and if one comes along, let me see the lessons that will give balance.
You have told us that all life is sacred.
Let me see today with a sacred eye.
Let me see beauty in all things.

My Creator, let me know what You would have me be today.

Let my intentions be honest, respectful, humble and loving.

Elder's Meditation -- The Feeling Of Giving

There are certain prayers or actions we can take that will call the Powers.
The powers can only work through people.
The Powers are always waiting to express themselves through people that are ready.
Every person born is born with a purpose.
They have a song to sing.
They have a mission to accomplish.
Every true purpose will always be about serving the Creator and helping others.
When we let the Powers know that we are ready to serve the people, the Powers get excited because they can now do things to help the people and make things better for them.
The decision is powerful because it turns an idea into action.

Great Spirit, the greatest joy or feeling that I have ever experienced

is when you are using me to help the people,

the feeling of giving, the feeling of being your channel.

Today, let me have that feeling of giving.

Use me as You will.

Elder's Meditation -- Acts Of Love

To serve each other,
to respect each other,
to trust each other,
to honor each other,
to love each other,
to cooperate with each other,
to care for each other,
to forgive one another,
to focus on peoples' good,
to laugh with one another,
to learn from one another;
to pray for each other
- these are all acts of love.
These values and actions will connect us to one another in the Unseen World.
Nature is a good example of how we should get along with one another.
Watch nature.
She is our teacher.
Nature lives to give to one another.
The insects give to the birds who give to the four legged who give to the two legged.
The Creator made all things perfect.

Oh Great Spirit, let me serve the people today.

Let me see that it is better to give than it is to receive.

Be with me today.

Elder's Meditation -- Sevice

The Creator can only create through human beings.
Each human being has a purpose given to us by the Creator.
We are on this earth to fulfill this purpose.
Our only work is to make ourselves ready, to become a channel, to perform for the Creator.
We prepare ourselves by prayer.
We prepare ourselves by becoming unselfish.
We prepare ourselves by seeking and choosing to walk on a spiritual path.
Each morning we look to the east and we say an honor prayer to the Creator.
We offer our gifts: tobacco and corn.
We ask him to help us do His will for today.
In this simple way, we still fulfill our purpose.
It should be an honor to serve the Creator.

Great Spirit, today I am ready to serve You.

God, this is hard.
Today, allow me to be a Warrior.
Let me be strong.
Let Your voice be clear to me.
Let me hear Your guidance.
My goal today is to serve You, to develop myself to be the kind of Indian person that You would have me be.
To Walk the Red Road must sometimes be walked alone.
Great Spirit, let me walk the Red Road today with the confidence that You are with me.
If I fall, I will quickly ask You to help me know what I should do next.

Balance

As within, as without, our present thought determines our future.
If we want peace outside ourselves, we must first have peace inside ourselves. I
t's not what is going on but how we are looking at what is going on.
We need to keep ourselves in balance.
We must be careful to not get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired.
We must know the times - time to work, time to rest, time to play, time to sleep, time to pray, time to lighten up, time to laugh, time to eat, time to exercise.
There is a saying "The honor of one is the honor of all."
This means when we work with all, we need to also work on one.
We need to take care of ourselves. You cannot give away what you don't have.

Great Spirit, let me walk in balance today.

Remove from me resentment, self pity and self seeking motives.

Let me love myself so I can love my neighbors.

Elder's Meditation -- Growth

There are no short cuts.
Every tree must grow according to the growth plan of the Creator.
Every flower must grow according to the plan of God.
The moon must make its trip around the earth according to God's plan.
Every human being must grow according to the plan of the Creator.
Sometimes we look at ourselves and we think we are not growing but we are always growing.
Because we cannot see it with our mind does not mean it is not happening.
We must be patient with ourselves and let the Creator direct our growth.

My Creator, let me be patient.

Let me realize that You are in charge of all things.

Let me realize that I must grow my roots a little at a time to become strong.

Elder's Meditation -- Peace

The Elders tell us the greatest gift we can seek is peace of mind, to walk in balance, to respect all things.
For us to do this, we must have peace within ourselves and peace within ourselves cannot come unless we are walking the path the Creator would have us walk.
Sometimes the tests on this path are difficult, but we know that each test makes us stronger.

Oh Great Spirit, I ask You to whisper Your wisdom in my heart.
You are the only one who knows
the secret to peaceful living and the mystery of harmony.
Teach me of Your peace, understanding and balance
and guide me onto your good path.

Elder's Meditation -- Listening

Sometimes my mind is talking so fast about so many different things that I can't slow it down.
All day long I am judging and making assumptions about everything.

Great Spirit, help me this day to slow down.

Help me to listen - quietly.

Help me to watch carefully.

Help me to listen to my inner voice.

Let me listen and watch only the thing

You would have me observe.

Guide my eyes and my ears to be focused on You.

Grandfather, love me today and teach me to be quiet.

Elder's Meditation -- Balance

The Elders have taught us to balance our lives emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.
If I am out of control emotionally, I get angry, doubtful or erratic, I am out of balance.
If I trigger bad mental pictures of my brothers and sisters, I am out of balance.
If I get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, I am out of balance physically.
If I don't pray and talk to the Creator daily, I am out of balance spiritually.
To be centered, I must be in balance.
The Creator talks to me in the quiet and still place.
So if I get angry, what I should do first is to pause and get still so I can hear the guidance of the Grandfathers.

Oh Great Spirit whose voice I hear in the winds,

protect and keep me safe today

- hear my prayers.

Elder's Meditation -- Becoming Teachable

Many of us, when we are young, spend a portion of our lives in learning.

Unfortunately, some of us spend this time learning the hard way.

When we are young we sometimes think we know everything.

Sometimes we do foolish things.

As we get a little older, we realize we don't know anything.

This is when we become teachable.

There is a saying that goes, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

We usually aren't teachable unless we are ready.

The ancestors are waiting and willing to help.

When we are ready, many beautiful teachers start to come into our lives.

Then we really start to grow and mature.

We are ready for the spiritual lesson.

Creator, help me to become ready and teachable.