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www.shamansociety.org7TheAboriginalPerspectiveThetraditionalAboriginalsarenotgoalorientedinthesamewaythatweWesternersareprogrammedtobefromchild-hoodnordotheyattempttopushtheriverwhichtheyknowwithabsolutecertaintyisanexerciseinabsolutefutility.InMiriamRoseswordsWearelikethetreestandinginthemiddleofabushfiresweepingthroughthetimber.Theleavesarescorchedandthetoughbarkisscarredandburntbutinsidethetreethesapisstillflowingandunderthegroundtherootsarestillstrong.Likethetreewehaveenduredtheflamesandyetwestillhavethepowertobereborn.Aftermorethan200yearsofassimilationistpracticesinflicteduponthembychurchandstatealiketheAustralianAboriginalsarestillhere.Theyareusedtotheongoingstruggleandtothelongwaiting.Inthissensetheystillwaitforthewhitepeopletounderstandthembetter.TheyhavespentmanygenerationslearningaboutWesternways.Theyhavelearnedtospeakourlanguageandhavelistenedtowhatwehavetosay.Yettheycon-tinuetowaitforustocomeclosertothem.Theylongforthosethingstheyhavealwayshopedforrespectandunderstanding.InMiriamRoseUngunmerr-BaumannswordsWeknowthatourwhitebrothersandsisterscarrytheirownparticularburdens.Wecarryburdensaswell.YetIbelievethatiftheyletuscometothemiftheywouldopenuptheirmindsandheartstousandhearwhatwehavetosaywemightlightentheirburdens.Thereisastruggleforallofusbutweunlikethemhavenotlostourspiritofdadirri.SheconcludeshermessagebyobservingIbelievethatthespiritofdadirrithatwehavetooffertotheworldwillhelpyouWesternerstoblossomandgrownotjustwithinyourselvesbutwithinyournationaswell.Therearedeepspringswithineachofusandwithinthemthereisasoundthesoundofthedeepcallingtothedeep.Thetimeforrebirthisnow.Ifourcultureandyourculturearealiveandwellaswellasstrongandrespectedtheywillgrow.Insuchacaseourculturewillnotdienorwillyoursandourspiritswillnotbelost.Wewillcontinuetogetherasthiswasalwaysmeanttobe.AboriginalPhilosophyThiswonderfulstatementremindsmeofapaperIreadyearsagoinananthologycalledShamanismExpandedViewsofRealityeditedbyShirleyNicholson1987.ThepaperistitledTheDreamtimeMysticismandLiberationShamanisminAustra-liaanditisauthoredbytheVenerableE.NandisvaraNayakeTheroPhD.thenthechiefSanghanayakaoftheTheravadaOrderofBuddhistmonksinIndia.AformerprofessorofcomparativereligionatMadrasUniversityaswellasDirectoroftheMahaBodhiSocietyofSriLankaandSecretaryGeneraloftheWorldSanghaCouncilDr.NandisvarahadrecentlyreturnedfromaresearchexpeditionwithananthropologicalteaminAustraliawherehehadlivedforsometimewithanativeAboriginalcommunityinhiswordsanextremelyancientracewhosewayoflifehuntingandgather-inghadnotsubstantiallychangedforperhaps35000years.InhisreportDr.Nandisvaramakesanextraordinarystate-ment.TothosewhojudgethedegreeofaculturebythedegreeofitstechnologicalsophisticationthefactthattheAustralianna-tivesliveinthesamefashionnowastheydidthousandsofyearsagomayimplythattheyareuncivilizedoruncultured.HoweverIwouldsuggestthatifacivilizationbedefinedbythedegreeofpolishingofanindividualsmindandthebuildingofhisorhercharacterandifthatculturereflectsthemeasureofourself-disciplineaswellasourlevelofconscious-nessthentheAustralianAboriginalsareactuallyoneofthemostcivilizedandhighlyculturedpeoplesintheworldtoday.FromhisconversationswiththeirshamansandspiritualeldersDr.NandisvaraconcludedthattheirspiritualtraditionishighlyadvancedandthattheirreligiousbeliefsareparallelwiththosefoundinthevariousbranchesofthePerennialPhilosophy.TheAboriginalelderstoldDr.Nandisvarathatthespiritofahumanbeingisalwaysincontactwiththehigherspiritualrealmsofbeingeveniftheremaybenoawarenessofthiscontactinonesordinarystateofconsciousness.Theyinformedhimthatthisgivestoeachoneofusanextraordinarygiftinthattherecanbedirectcommunicationbetweenthehumanandthedivineplanesofbeingwithouttheneedforanyecclesiasticalintermedi-aryorpriest.InotherwordsinAboriginalthoughtthereisquitesimplynogreatimpassablegulfbetweenthehumanandthedivineaperceptionthatisindirectoppositiontomostesotericschoolsoftheologyincludingJudeo-Christianity.ThisiswhytheAborigi-nalshadnoneedtodevelopanyorganizedreligionrunbyabureaucratizedandstratifiedpriesthood.Whattheyhaveinsteadisanauthenticspiritualegalitarianisminwhichtheyasindividu-alscanaccesstheDreamtimethroughtrancegivingthemdirectandimmediateaccessintothespiritualdimensionsthroughtheshamanictechniquesofecstasy.Thisabilitygivesthemanunshakableauthoritytomakehighlyevolvedphilosophicalobservations.ForexamplelikethereligiousthanatologiesofotherspiritualtraditionstheAborigi-nalsdescribetheprogressionofhumanconsciousnessafterdeathassurvivalininfinity.Theyknowfromdirectexperiencethattheindividualpointofcontactwiththeinfinitudeofcosmicconsciousnesscontinuestoexpandafterdeathuntilitisco-extensivewithit...untilitliterallybecomesit.ThisisnotatheoryfortheAboriginalsnorisitaconcept.ItisaperceptbasedupontheirowndirectexperiencearevelationthatisrevealedalsointheTibetanBookoftheDead.TheHindusandBuddhistsusethewordSamadhitodescribethisstate.TheAboriginalscallittheDreamtimeyetitisclearfromtheirdescriptionsofitthatempiricallyandphenomenologicallythesestatesarethesame.EarthandSkyPhilosophiesDr.NandisvarasessayalsoreportsthatthereisatraditionofpersonalspiritualaspirationinAboriginalsocietythatissimilar